The Gil Irving Files: Devil's Pen Strokes
by Canada Cowboy
Summary: Modern, AU. Six months after Gil rejoins the police, Gil's first mystery novel is published. Then, a series of strange deaths mimicking the ones in the book start occurring, and the team realizes they are dealing with a killer smarter than any they have dealt with before.
1. Debut of the Novel

Before I start, just want to give everyone a warning first. For those of you who haven't read "The Gil Irving Files: Cult of Martel" before coming here, I strongly recommend you do so. It's not so much this story is a direct sequel to that story, but more so along the lines of continuity. I included lots of events and references from that story in here, and you'll see this first chapter as trying to wrap up a few loose ends from that story before actually moving onto the plot.

Anyway, moving onto this story, just want to say that I thank all my fans for voting on the title. We've had some very interesting discussion regarding what the title should be and why. I put it up to a vote and this is the winner, so once again thank you for your input. In addition to this, I also included new OC's, both in a main role and in cameos. I took ownership of 2 older OC's, one because the original owner left the site (and gave the OC to me), and the other because I made an abandoned property claim against the writer after not coming to my stories for 2 years. And on that note, let's begin!

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. **AccessBlade** owns Cameryn Lachance. **Fenrir of the Shadows** owns Azul Kharlan. **Legend of Zelda 4 Life** owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.

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><p>"Best wishes, Gil Irving!" a goateed man in a dark leather jacket stated, scribbling his signature on the front inside cover of a novel. Said man was former undercover police officer, staff sergeant to the Iselia Police Department plainclothes unit, and recognized world hero Gilbert Irving. Usually, this tall, dark-haired man could be found at his unit solving strange crimes with his colleagues, or at his home spending time with family and friends. But today, the former mole had a different mission at hand, one that added another title to his life: author.<p>

"That's right, my wife is the inspiration for this book," Gil answered a teenage fan who posed the question while waiting for his signature. Behind the teenage girl, there was still a line of ten to fifteen people stretching across the foyer of the mall. "My wife was an author before she died, and I wanted to memorialize her by writing a novel myself. She's into history and I'm into detective investigations, so what better way than to blend the two genres together to create this piece." Closing the book, Gil handed it back to the girl and beckoned the next fan.

But the next fan was a familiar face to Gil, one that he saw every day at work. "Officer Combatir, I didn't know you were a mystery novel fan!" Gil greeted the pink-haired, dual pigtailed young woman of twenty-nine. Despite standing only an inch or two over five feet, Presea Combatir was a force to be reckoned with. Her vast knowledge of police technologies and critical analytical skills made her a valuable member to whichever unit she served.

"Well, I do have hobbies outside police work, Gil," Presea responded to her team leader. Three and a half years ago, Presea was forced into Iselia Police's Special Investigations Unit as a mole for the extremist terrorist group known as Cruxis, all thanks to a crystal that controlled her actions and mind. Gil was able to find a way to remove the crystal, and Presea cooperated with the police to take out the group. After an internal police investigation that cleared Presea of wrongdoing, she switched units and now served as Gil's second-in-command.

"Why don't we talk behind the table, rather than blocking the line?" Gil suggested, handing Presea back her book and gesturing at the fans behind her. Presea promptly tucked the book under her arm and slid into a chair to the right of Gil, quietly observing from behind the table as Gil signed for another fan. "Is that what you enjoy, reading mystery novels?" Gil asked.

"Actually, before coming to Iselia, I was in an exclusive club dedicated to paw pads, and I used to have a collection of that in my home in Ozette," Presea explained, remembering the days when she would go crazy over paws of any sort. Straightening the sleeves of the light grey shirt underneath her black sweater vest, she continued, "I haven't gone back to Ozette recently, so I can't say I'm a member of that club anymore. But I still have my paw pad collection with me here in Iselia. I can show you some time if you want, so are you interested?" Presea offered.

Gil shook his head, trying hard not to chuckle. "I'm busy enough already, let alone trying to collect paws. Just look at the loyal following I got right here. I never expected my first novel to sell out this well," he described, now addressing the next fan that popped up, "Besides, isn't there someone else you can turn to just to start a paws club branch in Iselia?"

"Actually, you can thank Regal Bryant for that," Presea replied. Regal was a large company's CEO, and recently he was promoted to president. Presea's sister Alicia worked for him before she passed away, and even though Presea and Regal didn't start off on the best terms, it was in the last few months or so that they started bonding a bit more. "The club's head branch is in Altamira, and Regal happened to be an enthusiast as well. And speak of the devil, there he is." Presea tilted her head to the shops across the foyer, where a tall man lumbered their way.

Gil stared up just in time to see a giant of a man with long blue hair and a dark suit and tie stop at their table. He had a cup of coffee in his hand and a neutral expression on his face. Had he not been in a suit and tie, Gil thought a bodybuilder came to visit. "How are you, Regal, or should I say, President Bryant of the Lezareno Company?" Gil greeted the visitor.

"Hello Gil, Presea," Regal returned their greeting. Despite his stature, Regal was actually a very well-mannered individual, never hesitating to show his etiquette and help those in need. "I came to Iselia to oversee a conglomeration of my company when I saw your book signing event, so I thought I'd come take a look. I'm sorry to say I don't have a copy with me, unlike Presea," Regal pointed out, alluding to the novel Presea held in her hands.

"I'll sell you one for half price, how about it?" Gil offered jokingly, chuckling as he opened another book for another fan, "But seriously, since when did Lezareno become a conglomerate? I thought you guys were mainly interested in mana technology."

Regal took a sip from the cup of coffee he had before answering thoughtfully, "It's always been our intention to branch out a bit. For example, today's acquisition is a clothing line that developed clothing reminiscent of some historical styles. We believe they match well with the new designs in our mana washer and dryers, as wearers of those clothes were supposed to be mana users as well. In fact, one of the clothing stores in this mall features that type of clothing," Regal stated, pointing to a store at the wing of the mall he came from earlier.

Gil and Presea followed Regal's finger with their eyes, landing at a clothing store called Destiny's. "This is the clothing style they have that we plan to mass produce and market," Regal continued, pulling out a folded flyer from his blazer's inside pocket, "Tell me what you think."

Gil handed the book back to the fan before taking a gander. "The Loni-Kyle? What in the world is that? Some sort of belly shirt?" he asked incredulously, his eyes alternating back and forth between his next fan and the strange clothes featured on the ads. On the flyer, several models ranging from adult to children wore shirts of different designs and colours. While some had long sleeves and high collars, most seemed to be sleeveless and low-collared, more for summer use. But there was thing all these clothing had in common: they left the midriffs bare, with the shirt ending somewhere between the bottom of the ribcage and the navel.

"The Loni-Kyle, I've actually heard of that before," Presea piped up, pulling the flyer closer, "Alicia told me a little about that, claiming belly shirts were popular with not just ladies, but also men, back in the past. It was something about a type of shirt that shows the midriffs, but the wearer never feels cold and can repel enemy attacks. I never thought it would be revitalized today, since we usually associate crop tops with girls. Now they're marketing to boys and men as well?" she asked, her eyes tilting between Regal and Gil.

Regal nodded. "This style of clothing actually debuted a few years ago, but it never really took hold in the mainstream. We are remarketing it, and expect to start sales later this week. By next week, we hope to have all stores in that chain selling them. I know history wasn't too kind to this, but we're hoping it would be different this time," he concluded with another sip of coffee.

Gil nodded his head, mulling over his message for the next fan. Scribbling a note above his signature on the inside jacket of the book, he handed it back. "I can't help but notice that you have a toolkit next to you," he commented to the fan, "Are you a handyman of sorts?"

The man grunted, but didn't respond much. Gil could hear from the man's muttering answers about going out of town to do a project and buying a book to read. "Well, good luck with the project then," Gil responded, hesitantly eyeing him. The man had red hair and wore a beige shirt, blue vest, light cargo pants and brown work boots. Whipping around, the man hurried out of the area, nearly knocking over the next two fans, who hollered out in shock.

"Real friendly guy, isn't he?" Presea chimed in, watching the two teenage girls glare at the handyman scurrying away and disappearing into the crowd. She rubbed her arms up and down, still feeling the chill left behind. Presea found it awkward that for a fan of the book or Gil, the man didn't seem to act like he was happy. Why get an autograph when he was so upset?

But Gil kept things in perspective for everyone. "I'm sorry for that incident, girls. I guess some fans show up in less jovial moods than you did," he reassured the two teens before him, "How about I compensate by signing your books and taking a picture with you two?"

The fans immediately agreed, whipping out their cellphones as Gil got up from behind the table. Approaching the fans, Gil stood casually while they posed to Gil's either side. Gil handed the phones to Regal, who offered to snap the photo for them. Before long, the strange incident was nothing more just a distant memory. "I'm glad we at least have some marketing for this book," Gil commented as he signed the fans' books, "Being a mole for ten years, I had some experiences in designing the most improbable crimes, and that's why the ones in this novel are so hard to solve. Would you like to hear some of my ideas?"

* * *

><p>"And I declare the website now online!" a teen with spiky brown hair announced with a flourish, clicking the mouse and uploading another page on the screen. For a guy who was still in high school, Lloyd Irving had gone through his fair share of adventure. For ten years he endured a pretty strained relationship with his father, who had been an undercover police officer. Having to be absent from his home for weeks at a time and keeping many things secret from Lloyd meant even talking to each other was an awkward experience.<p>

Then, less than a year ago, Lloyd was asked by Gil to take part in the biggest mission of them all: stopping an extremist terrorist half-elf group from destroying the world. All the bad feelings and misunderstanding went out the window when father and son re-bonded while ensuring the world would not be destroyed. Through the entire time, Lloyd and his father received much support from their friends, who were all proud of what the Irving family had to go through. Now, Lloyd was one semester away from graduating high school, and he couldn't have done it without this group of wonderful people. "Well, what do you think, Colette?" he asked, hopping off the chair and tugging on the waistband of his baggy jeans under his red T-shirt.

The blond girl slid into the chair at Lloyd's desk. Lloyd wrapped his arms around his girlfriend from behind while leaning his head over her shoulder. During Gil's time undercover, Colette was one person Lloyd turned to for support. They knew each other since very early in their lives, and the bond between them blossomed. Originally it started off as Colette helping Lloyd out with schoolwork and such, especially when Lloyd's marks took a nosedive after elementary school. But when Colette became caught up in Gil's undercover work, it was Lloyd who helped cure Colette of the Exsphere Cruxis placed in her body. Through that experience, both sides realized that there was more to what was between them than just friends.

"I think it looks pretty good," Colette responded, her voice cheerful and optimistic. She placed her hands over Lloyd's, which slightly pulled on Colette's light blue hooded jacket. "You have a section for your dad's biography, some parts on the inspiration you guys got from your mom, and even a forum for fans. I think he'll be really happy with that." Colette tilted her head up and met Lloyd's lips with her own, showering her boyfriend with appreciation before asking, "So is that the reason why you chose computer design as your skills course for this year?"

Lloyd nodded. Before graduating, their high school had a requirement that certain skills and technology courses must be taken for credit. Ever since Gil revealed he was intending to write a book, Lloyd thought it might be worthwhile to help Gil with managing his fans. It didn't hurt that Lloyd's marks shot back up now that things calmed down in their family, so Lloyd was confident he had free time to manage the site even after he graduated. "It's a perfect project for computers class, and I can also..." Lloyd described before trailing off.

Colette paused too, watching the computer screen flicker a few times. The pair of seventeen-year-olds stepped out of Lloyd's room and glanced around the house, realizing every electric appliance plugged into the wall now flickered. "What's going on here?" Lloyd wondered aloud, hustling down the stairs. He didn't get two steps into the main floor before he saw through a side window and into his backyard. "Genis, what are you doing?" Lloyd yelled.

Colette came down just in time to see Lloyd hustle out the back door, letting the breeze into the house. She was just in time to Lloyd confronted their half-elf friend, who originally came with her to see Lloyd's website only to wander off. Much to Colette's surprise, Genis had his shirt off, wearing only his dark blue fleece vest in an unzipped manner. As the blonde stepped onto the back porch, she could see Genis standing in front of the patio table, where four items were sitting on top of it. They were a glass of water with ice, an electric wire plugged into an outlet, a small electric pocket fan, and a book of matches. Other than staring incredulously, there wasn't much more Lloyd and Colette could do.

"I was testing my new mana manipulation technique," the twelve-year-old half-elf explained, sending a fingerless-gloved hand through his silver hair, "I realized that with regular spells, I have to feel the mana of the type of spell I want through my body first. But last time, when I was helping Chocolat escape the hostage situation, my fire spell shot out my belly button instead. So then I talked to Ricardo, and it turns out that..."

Lloyd raised his own hand, the dark fabric of his own open-fingered glove dominating the younger boy's vision. For years, Lloyd and Genis wore nearly identical dark open-fingered gloves. But for today, that's where the similarities between the two ended. "First, we're supposed to be looking at my website, not testing out mana spells. Second, last time I recalled, you nearly lit a police officer on fire with your belly shot. So what makes you think you can do that in my backyard?" Lloyd snapped, his fuming face towering over the shorter boys' weak grinning one.

"I didn't know that was Officer Ross chasing down the culprits! It was dark, I saw a girl in trouble, and I called the police! It wasn't my fault that someone pulled out a gun and the police won't arrive on time!" Genis responded, waving his arms up and down in defence of his actions that day, "And I told you I was coming up in a minute, after I try something out first. Didn't you hear me, or were you too focused on Colette?" Genis accused with a giggle.

Before long, the half-elf was dodging a playful swing from Lloyd, all the while Colette laughed from behind them. "You nearly short-circuited the entire house with your spells," Lloyd retorted, "What were you trying to do with all this stuff anyway?"

Genis recomposed himself before marching back to the table with the assorted items. They were either things that he found lying around his own house or things he purposely picked up for this occasion. "As mentioned before, I spoke with Ricardo about my belly button. He told me because it's the centre of the body, all mana travels through it when I cast," Genis lectured to Lloyd, dipping a finger into the round crater-like object on his stomach, "But if I put an actual source for the element near it, the mana inside would overload and automatically convert to that element, leading to a spell. That's why my belly button shot fire out that day. I ate too much of Raine's rancid curry and heated my intestines," Genis concluded that sentence with a shudder, too frightened by his older sister's terrible culinary creations.

Lloyd and Colette slowly edged to the table, looking at each item like specimen under a microscope in biology class. As the two teens picked up and placed down each item, Genis continued excitedly, "All I had to do was place each thing near my belly button, and presto! The coolest one was with the glass of water. With both water and ice inside, I have an equal chance in casting Aqua Edge or Icicle," Genis pointed out while still wiggling his navel.

Lloyd's eyebrows alternated their bouncing before eyeing Genis suspiciously. "Are you sure you didn't burn up anything in the backyard? If you did, I doubt my dad would be willing to invite you back here again," Lloyd warned, his eyes scanning the grass and shrubs.

"Relax, Lloyd," Colette chimed in, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend again, "Let's not forget that we're going camping with Raine and Genis next weekend. Think of how much fun it'll be when we hang out with them." Years ago, when Gil was still undercover, the four bonded with weekend camping trips in the forests just north of Iselia. Now, with Lloyd and Colette both a semester from college and Raine almost completing her Master's program, it was a good opportunity for them to bond once more before taking on new challenges in their lives.

Genis grinned. "Yeah, and I get the entire wilderness to test my belly button spells on," he added, moving to the deck chair where he tossed his shirt on, "Once I get this mastered, which shouldn't take long, you get to see me work my magic."

Lloyd winced again, alternating his eyes between his girlfriend's embrace and Genis trying to put his shirt back on. "Alright, I guess I'll let that slide. Just make sure you clean up the mess before leaving, okay?" Lloyd mumbled in defeat, while gesturing to the scattered items on the table, "And then will you come up to see my webpage?"

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><p>"Is everybody here? If so, then let's get started!" Gil declared to his staff that gathered in their unit conference room. Whenever Captain Noishe, one of the two captains in charge of this team, was at the Major Crimes unit, Gil would take over and coordinate weekly staff meetings. Noishe, a millennia-old Protozoan that had been around since the world was torn into two, was the one who came up with a plainclothes unit in the Iselia police force. So when Gil finished his undercover mission, Noishe simply promoted him to staff sergeant to lead this unique team.<p>

"First off, some administrative announcements," Gil declared, gesturing to a heavyset man standing to his right, "we are bidding one person goodbye today, as Officer Robert Ross will no longer be a part of our unit." Standing beside Gil was a man with dark brown curly hair, dressed in an old beige shirt tucked neatly into dark dress pants. A grey, unbuttoned, slightly worn blazer was the outermost layer, covering some bandages that laced across his arms and torso. "We are truly blessed to have Bob be part of our group, and he performed courageously in his first case with us. But unfortunately, his body took quite a beating and he won't be in the best physical shape for active duty. So why don't you tell us what your next plan is?" Gil asked.

Robert Ross gave his trademark five o'clock shadow a few scratches before stepping up to the group. Six months ago, he was shunned and unwelcome in the unit, with everyone thinking he was nothing but a slacker and a lazy bum. But after a heart-to-heart talk with Gil, Robert was able to redeem himself and finally let go of his internal demons. But never in his life did it mean an end to his career as an active investigator, so speaking before the unit, the first one that truly supported him for who he was, was bittersweet. Taking a deep breath, Robert tried to calm his nerves, his throat coarser than sandpaper as he looked into the crowd.

Five sets of eyes focused in on Robert as the heavyset man spoke. "The physicians at the hospital analyzed my body, and deemed that my hands and elbows suffered tendon and cartilage damage. This means I will no longer have full strength in my arms, so I would no longer be as effective on physical and field work. Because of this, I have been reassigned to the new Archives department," Robert explained. In the past, archives were done in each respective unit. But thanks to some new policies implemented by the police chief, a new Archives department was formed where there would be centralized storage of documents. Each unit could now devote more time and space to investigation rather than document management. "So if anyone wants to search for old files, just give me a call, okay?" Robert added.

The entire unit gave Robert a round of applause, grateful for their old friend's service to the team. As the clapping died down, Robert opened the door and made one more announcement. "Sergeant Irving was the one who suggested I introduced my replacement, because I have some connections with the newbie. It just so happens that my mother is friends with his girlfriend's mother, so we know a bit about each other," Robert described, "He was trained in the Luin Police Academy, having graduated just last year. This is his first time in Iselia, and this is his first ever unit. Please welcome your new member, Oni Sheikah!"

This time, it was Robert leading the applause as he stepped out of the room. Soon, the chubby figure was replaced by a leaner, more muscular, athletically-built blond-haired young man. Unlike Robert, who made his debut into the unit dressed like a fisherman while sucking the donut icing off his fingers, Oni was in his police uniform, his badge sparkling off the light blue shirt. In contrast to Robert's former unruly curly brown hair, Oni had his combed neatly, while blue loop earrings hung from both ears. The most distinctive thing was how youthful he seemed, as Oni looked no older than eighteen. "Hello," he meekly greeted the team.

Gil cocked an eyebrow at the new officer. Given that this was the plainclothes unit, why was he coming in wearing his uniform? Making a mental note to himself to remind Oni not to wear his uniform on the field, Gil approached the new officer. "Well Oni, let me introduce you to your team," Gil gestured around the table, point to Presea, Cameryn Lachance, Cabalina Ashton, and Azul Kharlan, the lone elf in the group. "Why don't you tell us about yourself? Maybe you'll find some commonalities between you and your colleagues," Gil suggested.

Oni looked around, his body slightly clenched as he moistened his lips. "Well, I'm twenty-four years old. As Bob mentioned, I did my police training in Luin, having graduated just last year. I first considered police jobs within that area before I found out my girlfriend was moving to Iselia after she got her job here, and that's when I saw this police department hiring. I applied to the plainclothes unit, and here I am," Oni ended that with a slight scratch to his head, not sure what else to say. He wasn't much of a public speaker anyway, so this was kind of nerve-racking for him. And hearing that both Gil and Robert won cadet of the year awards at their respective academies, Oni had big shoes to fill.

At Gil's urging, Oni spoke a bit more about his personal hobbies. "I enjoy reading, especially mystery novels. I consider my talent at the academy to be in marksmanship, and I'm a novice mage, having recently started to learn mana manipulation," he continued, listed off traits robotically, "I'm still in the midst of finishing moving into my apartment with my girlfriend, so until we get settled in over there, things may get a bit hectic."

Gil nodded. "Well Oni, the first piece of advice I have for you is not to wear your uniform all the time. There's a reason why this is the plainclothes unit, as all colleagues here are in street clothes," Gil demonstrated with a wave of his hand across the table before Oni, "And based on what you just said, I think you'll get along with this group very well."

"You mentioned you were a mystery novel fan, right?" Presea asked, "I think you'll be pleased to know that the staff sergeant himself recently published a mystery novel. I happen to have a copy, and Gil was kind enough to sign it as well. If you like, I could show you some nearby bookstores where you can get a copy," the pink-haired officer suggested.

"And I happen to be quite good with marksmanship too," the pony-tailed brunette Cabalina chimed in, "I used to be a bit more trigger-happy when I first joined the unit, but Sarge kind of told me to tone it down. Now I try to take a calmer approach to things, rather than be all bull-headed and stubborn about it. I'm working on using different investigative approaches now, and hopefully I can get better every day," Cabalina finished with determination.

"Speaking of mana casting, I can tell from your mana structure that you're a half-elf, correct?" Azul Kharlan piped up. Like half-elves, Azul looked way younger than his age would suggest, his body resembling someone in the mid-twenties despite being a hundred thirty years old. "Even though I'm of the original mana manipulating race, I actually have no manipulation abilities. Mana never seemed to interest me, despite being an elf. But if you want, I can introduce you to someone I know who can help you with mana manipulation. Whenever you have free time, just give me a shout."

A weak smile appeared on Oni's face, the half-elf realizing that he was being accepted faster than he could imagine. Maybe this unit would be his place after all! "Thank you all for that wonderful welcome, as I'm sure Oni will appreciate the hospitality," Gil declared with gratitude. Turning to the only person who didn't speak yet, he requested, "Cameryn, do you think you can have Oni's profile and other information uploaded onto our unit database, just so Oni and everyone else may access it?"

The bespectacled secretary with strawberry blond hair sitting in the front seat nodded with a grin. "I'm already on it," she responded affirmatively, "You will be up and running with us in no time. If you like, we can start your training with admin stuff, like submitting or requesting documents, or accessing the database. Would you prefer that?" she asked Gil and Oni.

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><p>Gil groaned as he pulled his Audi V8 into his garage, turning off his engine and stretching out his arms. It was an interesting day at the office to say the least, with a veteran leaving his unit while a star rookie came in. And through it all, the team had to send their old files to the new Archives unit, meaning more paperwork and stress for Cameryn. "It was a minor miracle she didn't blow another gasket," Gil muttered before stepping through the door.<p>

"Hey Dad, you're back!" Gil could hear his son greet him. A lot of change happened between when Gil first got back his identity to today. Other than the fact that Lloyd's voice went deeper and slightly huskier, Lloyd also spent more time with Gil, focusing on bonding and doing his part to re-engage in his life. And it paid off, with Lloyd's academic standing improving dramatically, his bonds with family and friends stronger than ever, and an actual sense of caring between him and those around him. It truly felt like Lloyd's rebirth was nearly complete.

"Hi, Lloyd," Gil greeted back. He slowly made his way to the dining room table after hanging up his coat in the closet. Months of physiotherapy made it so that his right leg, which took a bullet near the end of his undercover days, would no longer require support. He ended up going on vacation while on crutches, and investigating his first plainclothes case with a cane, but today he was truly completely mobile. "So how's the website coming?" Gil asked.

Lloyd smiled. "It's coming along, alright. I have the front page up, a small biography of you, and the inspiration for which you wrote you story. I didn't say too much about your time undercover though, so don't worry," Lloyd reassured his father while Gil pulled out his laptop and turned it on, "I'm also trying to start a forum or blog for fans of the novel to discuss their ideas and reactions to the content. It should be up before the weekend."

Gil nodded, focusing on connecting to the internet. "I assume you'll be doing all the moderating? Or can I get involved too?" he asked. Gil had never really moderated a website before, let alone interacted with his fans electronically. So hearing his son turn his computer science class project into a long-term commitment seemed intriguing to him.

"You can if you wish, but I'm going to pop by the website every now and then, so everything should run smoothly," Lloyd explained. Sliding into the seat next to Gil, Lloyd showed his father all the features of the website. "So this is where the discussion will take place, and the first thing I will do once it's up is to introduce myself as the moderator and post the rules. There are certain topics that will be off limits, such as hate speech or death threats. I will also keep an eye on profiles, just to ensure fans don't post anything inappropriate either."

"Slow down, big guy," Gil interrupted, raising a hand at his son, "Are you sure you'll have enough time to do all this stuff? How can you be sure to get to every concern before they get worse?" While Gil was proud of his son's maturity, he also felt Lloyd bit off more than he could chew. He just turned his life around, so could he afford to be distracted like this?

"Don't worry. I'm focusing all my moderation time on the weekends, so it's not like I'll have to guard the site 24/7," Lloyd replied with a chuckle, "I'll spend maybe an hour or two every weekend just going through posts and comments. I don't expect to have a thousand posts every day, so it should be fine. Besides, if you want to do some moderation yourself, feel free to tell the fans how you feel. I can certainly set up an account for you."

Gil mulled it over, scratching the chin part of his goatee. "Well, it'll certainly let me hear out what my fans have to say. Perhaps they have some new ideas I could use for another novel, if the demand for one is there," Gil listed off. Originally, Gil only intended to write one novel as a way to honour Anna. But if the appetite for more was present, then maybe he wouldn't mind continuing the series. "After all, your mother always reminded us to open our minds to new possibilities, so why not keep true to that and write a sequel, if the chance comes up?"

Lloyd nodded with satisfaction. "I think if Mom were here, she would be really proud of you," he stated, closing down the webpage, "both as a police officer and a writer." Both father and son went through ten years of their lives without truly reflecting on what Anna meant to them both, with Gil being undercover while Lloyd crashed and burned in school. But now, with time to bond between them, both Gil and Lloyd found new inspiration in Anna, and had new drives for life because of what she did for the family.

"Anyway, enough about the webpage for now," Gil stated, putting his laptop away, "How's everything else in school coming? Since you'll graduate in a few months, have you looked into where you'll go for college? Remember that Cameryn, my unit's secretary, has looked into investment plans for students before. If you ever want advice, just tell me and I'll get Cameryn on the case," Gil offered, looking into Lloyd's chocolate eyes.

"Well, I've been looking around, but I haven't really taken too much time to deal with that yet," Lloyd answered sheepishly. He really couldn't believe that after all the struggles he had been through, he was finally reaching the end of high school. A whole new journey was ahead of him in university, and who knew what would happen next? But there was one thing that Gil said that bothered him quite a bit. "You mentioned Cameryn earlier. She was the one who was involved in the first investigation, right? How is she doing?" Lloyd asked.

Gil inhaled deeply before letting the air back out, mimicking the ocean waves. Thinking back six months ago, he recalled Cameryn found out that one of the tenants on her apartment floor was the daughter of that crime's main suspect. While Cameryn's neighbour Kate tried to do the right thing by stopping her father, she ended up pushing him off a building and to his death, an event that devastated the two friends. "She's still kind of quiet about that, although I did hear she tries to attend Kate's trial every now and then, just to show support," Gil replied meekly. With Kate charged with manslaughter, this would be a trying time for Cameryn as well.

Gil shook his head and tried to change the topic. "Overall, everything is going alright with Cameryn. Her main issue of complaint, other than all the paperwork we're subject to right now, is why the city is taking so long to build a subway route," Gil reassured Lloyd with a smile, referring back to Cameryn's tendency of using public transit rather than driving, "I'm sure if you're ready to talk about university, we can get Cameryn to help you."

Lloyd smiled and nodded. "Glad to know then," he responded, "I'll keep that in mind when I do apply. Until then, I'm looking forward to my camping trip with Colette, Raine, and Genis this weekend. Want to hear what we're planning to do, or do we want to make dinner first?" With that, father and son moved into the kitchen, spirits back up as they engaged in a friendly banter. So far, it seemed like nothing could bring down the two Irvings.

* * *

><p>"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Lloyd marvelled, standing on top of a mountain that overlooked lush green forests on the cliff side. Finally, the weekend arrived, and the four friends were off to their camping trip through the mountainous forests north of Iselia. Sand and pebbles dotted the ground at the foot of the mountain, ending in the deep blue sea that lapped its waves along the coast. It was the first time in years that the group had seen something this beautiful right near their hometown, and they were enjoying every moment of it.<p>

"It's been a little while since we've been here before, isn't it?" Colette asked, hanging tightly onto Lloyd's left arm while leaning her head on his shoulder, "I'm glad it's just as beautiful as it was all those years ago, when we last came here."

"Why do you think they made this entire area a conservation area?" Raine responded from a few metres up, holding her camera out and snapping up shots of the scenery. Despite being older than her brother by a decade, Raine had similar silver hair as Genis, and had equally strong brainpower. "Our whole world's history basically revolves around this place, with the Reunification Chosen being from this area. Don't forget that before the hero after Reunification, Emil Castagnier, also visited here just prior to dealing with the whole Ratatosk business. So isn't it obvious why this whole place ought to be preserved, so we can appreciate its history?"

"There she goes again," Genis muttered, shaking his head. Raine would get really passionate about anything of historical importance, which usually led to some embarrassment amongst their group whenever she was in public. Genis' eyes alternated between the cuddling couple and his eccentric sister, who was trying to snap pictures while adjusting her orange windbreaker coat. "I heard that while Emil was remembered as a brave guy, he was actually pretty wimpy. Before he started his journey, he used to get picked on a lot. I guess things really changed for him after he met the Reunification group, huh?" Genis commented.

Raine jumped into Genis' point. "You have to put things into perspective," she replied, stuffing the camera back in her coat pocket, "He was going through some tough times, with his parents being killed in Palmacosta. He's been ostracized all his life, and suddenly, he had to protect someone with this newfound power. How would anyone be able to handle that change?"

"But he did persevere in the end, because others around him had faith in him, and he had faith in them in return," Lloyd pointed out, wrapping his left arm around Colette, "It's sort of like my father, I guess. He never expected himself to go undercover for ten years, but it's through us that he made it. And believe it or not, the protagonist detective in his mystery story was going through some similar things, so I think Dad was writing himself into the novel. It's funny how some things work out, both historically and presently."

"Now you see why it's important to learn from history?" Raine chimed in again, "There is so much in there that goes towards building our world. I think we're all very lucky to have such great examples, with what your father went through and how we all helped him."

But before anyone could respond, a soft rumbling could be heard from the distance. All four hikers looked up to see some dark clouds brewing out in the ocean, the wind picking up and sending the thick grey layers rolling through the skies. "I think we should get going before we get wet," Raine suggested, "The sooner we find our campsite, the better."

Lloyd nodded, pulling out the map of the area from his backpack. His eyes scanned the page while his free hand scratched his head, wondering where they were headed. Assuming the storm would hit, he had to find the fastest way to the campsite. "It seems like there's a trail here, although it might just be a horse trail rather than a hiking trail," he murmured, his finger tracing the line in question, "Wonder if Buck...oof!"

Lloyd rubbed his ribs gently, glaring at the one who throw the flying elbow at him. Colette gestured the other way, causing her boyfriend to turn to the one standing directly behind him. Right in his vision was Genis, trying to peer over Lloyd's shoulder when he made the remark. Upon the comment, Genis slumped back down and just stood stoically. "Be sensitive, will you?" Colette whispered. A brisk wind sliced through the group, creating an eerie silence.

"It's okay, don't worry about it," the silver-haired half-elf responded nonchalantly after a few seconds of emotionless silence, "I'm not offended by you mentioning her. I kind of realized my friendship with her didn't work not long after I turned down her offer to teach me horseback riding. It really didn't help that she started getting upset at every single thing I said, even when I offered to help her with her schoolwork and other stuff." Genis was known to be an honour roll student, doing things that no one his age could. Even though he was several years younger than his horseback riding friend, he understood her class material and could help her in several areas.

"Oh," Colette eked out, surprised at Genis' response. "Well, I'm sorry for elbowing you then, Lloyd." She turned to her boyfriend, who had an equally perplexed look on his face. After the big fight, Genis was quite upset about it, and wouldn't speak of the issue for weeks. "So is there any chance of reconciling between you two, or will this be it?" she asked Genis.

Genis shrugged. "She made her bed, and now she has to sleep in it. That's all I'm going to say," the younger boy replied, neither angry nor sad, "Maybe I was kind of harsh by asking her to accept my help, but nobody told her to keep heading towards a dead end. And for sure nobody told her to keep acting that irresponsibly even after I tried to make up with her. Seriously, I'm years younger than her but my maturity level is years ahead of hers."

"Well, I guess that's settled. So let's get going then, shall we?" Raine interrupted her brother, leading the group back through the forest and to the trail Lloyd was mentioning earlier, "I haven't heard you talk about her at home, so I pretty much assumed that's the end of the line."

Genis shrugged again, following Raine while looking back to make sure Lloyd and Colette could catch up. "It's like Emil's case, right? It's up to each person to have faith in others, and let others have faith in them in return. I had faith in her, but she didn't want to return that faith, so what more can I say? It's up to her to turn things around and make things right again. And knowing her current attitude, she's no Emil Castagnier, that's for sure."

* * *

><p>John Walker was in no mood to deal with any more maintenance problems today. Having been a site manager for this boy scouts camp for the last ten years, his job involved mainly making sure all onsite structures and equipment were safe to use when scouts camping season began. Usually he would be at the campsite at least a month before season started, making sure all was ready before the children arrived and took their cabins and bunks.<p>

But this year, things were far from ready, with a series of personal issues hindering his progress. Two weeks ago, he got into an argument with his main supplier and that led to a fight. This was due to Walker being caught with the supplier's wife, leading to a rescinding of the offer to contract and Walker's own wife leaving him. Now, in the midst of all this chaos, plus finding out that the campsite was in worse shape than anticipated, things were not going well. "Let's hope the new renovation supplier wouldn't be as bad," he murmured bitterly.

Unfortunately, the delays kept getting worse, with the supplies only arriving a few days ago. There was simply not enough time for Walker to get repairs started, and now the scouts had already arrived. Dealing with a hundred kids meeting at the makeshift wooden bleachers, which had been installed at least a decade ago as to bring more people into the traditional campfire, was an absolute nightmare. And it didn't help that tonight the scouts welcomed four lost hikers who couldn't find their way to their original camp, meaning more problems would perk up.

"Fireball!" a younger voice yelled, echoing off the trees on the way to the amphitheatre like campfire as two bright flashes flared through the air. It provided some warmth to Walker, who was lumbering his way down to the children. Wearing an old, worn-out denim jacket over a grey Loni-Kyle shirt, the maintenance manager trudged through the semi-moist grass and soil, his hiking boots the only thing keeping his socks dry as he peered into the campfire.

The younger scouts roared in approval as a silver-haired boy performed a bunch of tricks with the elements. That alone got Walker all riled up, as the last thing he wanted was these crazy mana spells causing more damage to the area. "The fewer repairs I have to do, the better," he grumbled again, moving down the creaky wooden steps to the front, where some of the scout troops leaders were located. Shouldn't these kids be heading to bed already?

"Show us another spell, Genis!" the scouts hollered, egging the young half-elf on. The four visitors were named Lloyd, Colette, Raine, and Genis, and they dropped by here after they claimed Lloyd got them lost on the way to their campsite. Given that there might be harsh weather coming up, and there were some extra cabins available, the scout leaders allowed the foursome to bunk with their troops for the weekend. That meant some of the cabins that required fixing had their repairs be delayed, which made Walker quite frustrated.

"I don't know if there's too much water in these twigs, since the trees kind of covered them from the rain," Genis stated, showing the uniformed children a couple of sticks plucked from the ground, "But if I concentrate them just right, I should get a water spell." Everyone looked on as Genis lifted his blue shirt, holding it up with his left hand while placing the sticks just before his navel with his right. Only owls hooting among the trees in the distance complemented Genis' breathing. It was like watching a master magician at work.

Then, taking a deep breath, Genis rolled his stomach once and unleashed the spell. "Aqua Edge!" he called, aiming at the trees as mana coursed out his favourite body part and through the wood, creating two small water disks. They flew a few metres before splashing down on the ground, much to the delight of the audience, who let out another round of cheers and applause. "Thanks, you guys," Genis responded sheepishly, tossing the twigs onto the ground, "If the sticks were any moister or wetter, it would have flown even farther."

The only one not seemingly impressed by the trick was Walker, who pulled the most senior scout leader aside. While the two older men spoke, one boy chirped, "Genis, how did you figure out how to cast with your belly button?" he asked the performer.

Genis chuckled before giving the boy a response, all the while the senior scout leader sought to calm Walker down. The maintenance manager chose to air his concerns over the visitors delaying his repair work during the performance, making the troop leader quite uneasy. "It's just for this weekend, John," the scout leader, a balding man with greying hair, assured the maintenance manager, who cast doubtful blue eyes back at him, "I know there are extra repairs to be made this year, but our troops are scheduling events around the renovations and repairs. We will not take up too much of your time and space, so you have my word."

"Right, and next you'll tell me a scout's honour is always good," Walker retorted, crossing his arms and scrunching his face, "I'm already stressed out enough, and now with these visitors delaying me, I'll never be able to get out of here. What will I say to the supplying renovator who's helping me out? He's not going to be here forever, you know."

"Unfortunately, only elves and half-elves can cast spells, so if you're a human, then you're kind of out of luck," Genis' sarcastic voice sliced through the tense conversation, "And in case you're wondering, I developed this trick all by myself. You'll never see another spell caster do mana tricks with their belly button, so this is quite an exclusive."

"Alright everyone, I think it's time to call it a night," a younger scout troop leader, a man in his late-twenties or so, approached the stage-like campfire, "Let's all give our new friend and guest, Genis Sage, a classic scouts round of applause, and thank him for that demonstration."

The scouts hooted and hollered, some mimicking animals and birds. "Just remember," he shouted over the noise, still grinning from ear-to-ear, "if anyone asks you who has the best belly button in the world, you tell them Genis Sage does!" He dropped his shirt back down, leaving his stomach covered even though his right index finger was still inside, poking and wiggling his navel back and forth. He trotted back to his sister and their two friends, all congratulating the boy on that show. Lloyd, Colette, Raine, and Genis grabbed their camping gear and followed the younger scout troop leader, who was to lead them to their cabin for the night.

As Walker and the older scout troop leader continued to work out the details, a series of collisions at the top of the stairs caught everyone's attention. "Is everyone alright?" a couple of scout leaders called, overseeing a few scouts collapsed onto the ground. The wooden planks right at the entrance of the amphitheatre, just underneath the large welcome sign of their camp, gave way when they stepped through. Now, the kids struggled to untangle themselves from the pile of bodies, all the while checking each other for injuries.

"Are you all okay?" Raine's voice called in from behind, "I know some mana spells too, mainly healing ones. Would you like me to take a look at everyone's injuries?" Taking action immediately, Raine ushered them away from the steps and back to the main lodge. "Lloyd, Colette, Genis, you three head to the cabin first. I'll join you guys later," she stated.

Walker and the senior scout troop leader were the last to come up, just in time to see the crowd dissipate completely. The two older men looked down at the wooden steps underneath the huge wooden sign, now nothing more than splinters courtesy of dozens of boy scouts' hiking boots. "Think you can fix that tomorrow morning?" the scout leader asked meekly.

Walker growled. This was another diversion he didn't want. "You know what? Why don't I grab some lights and fixed it right now, just so you goody two-shoes don't keep hounding me?" he roared, storming off in the direction of the storage sheds and leaving the scout leader to himself. The older man could only shrug, hurrying back to the main lodge and hoping that none of the boys were too badly hurt. Was this poor handiwork or downright negligence?

It took nearly half an hour before Walker could get all the required material back to the site. With two lights attached to the two tall wooden pillars holding up the welcome sign, the maintenance manager slowly got to work. Carefully putting work gloves on, Walker slowly pulled out the shards and splinters, some of which sharp enough to pierce through the fabric. Luckily, he had a waste container with him, which allowed him to toss the broken pieces into a safe place. "Hope I can get this done before the rain comes," he grimaced, brushing a blond strand of hair away from his eyes.

Not a minute passed before the wind picked up, whistling through the forest and rustling the trees. "Curse my rotten luck," Walker mumbled, "Why does it have to be like this?" This week was going from bad to worse for him, and he wasn't even done pulling out all the broken planks. "I am really not in the mood for this. Where's that renovation supplier guy now?"

But Walker barely got even one plank out of the ground before a low moan echoed above him. The middle-aged man stared up at the heavy sign now swaying in the wind, an odd sight to say the least, given its mass alone would keep it steady. The sign wasn't really part of the wood poles, nor was it slotted in. Instead, the sign hung from the wood poles courtesy of a couple of chains that were wrapped over each pole and then nailed down a few metres to the side of each pole. While some might question the strength of two old chains, the sign had been shaky before, making Walker very suspicious of this situation.

Before he could inquire more, the impossible happened. The chains that were bolted down from either side creaked ominously, causing the sign to waver even more. Everything moved in slow motion as a muffled metallic snap sounded off on both sides, sending the large sign straight to the ground. Before long, the sign slammed into Walker, sending him straight onto the ground, crushing his skull and ribs. There was nothing but a cool breeze whisking past as red liquid oozed from the maintenance manager's body and into the grass and soil.

* * *

><p>You will also see references to other Tales games in this story, with the most prevalent being "Dawn of the New World." That means canon characters will be speaking in their new voices (especially Lloyd, whose voice changed the most between TOS and "Dawn of the New World"). I've always wanted to include Emil and Marta into the Gil Irving series, but unfortunately, due to time and planning restraints, I haven't been able to proceed with that move yet. Hopefully they'll appear in the next story, but for now they'll have to sit out for another round. Thanks for reading!<p> 


	2. Lack of Leads

I want to thank **Fenrir of the Shadows**, **AccessBlade**, and **Wavebreeze** for reviewing last chapter. Just to address some points you guys raised, I've tried my best to look for grammatical errors in this chapter. If I missed any, please feel free to inform me so I can make the right adjustments. As for pacing, I'm employing the strategy of "hiding details in plain sight" where even the most minute or trivial detail may come in play later on. The pacing will be a little slower because of that, but I assure you that it will pick up in the near future. There will also be a witness named Jack Azmenak, an OC belonging to **Wavebreeze** that will be making a cameo appearance here. And on that note, let's get started.

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. **AccessBlade** owns Cameryn Lachance. **Fenrir of the Shadows** owns Azul Kharlan. **Legend of Zelda 4 Life** owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.

* * *

><p>Police cars lined the campsite while officers and forensics members scattered about, either interviewing campers or gathering evidence. It was sheer pandemonium as scouts in their sleepwear spoke with uniformed individuals all the while trying to hold back yawns and rubbing their eyes. And in the middle of all this, a lanky elf with auburn hair that periodically draped over one eye observed with his trainee, a blond half-elf with blue loop earrings. "First week on the job and you get a live crime scene," Azul commented, "Let's get started, shall we?"<p>

"So when we're assigned night shift for this week, this is what happens? They call us when there's an unusual crime, and we show up?" Oni asked, pulling on his dark brown jacket. The two officers slowly stepped through the bushes and towards the crime scene. It took several officers and forensics members to lift the sign off of the deceased, a middle-aged man by the name of John Walker. The sign, now cracked and threatening to splinter, lied harmlessly before them as the forensics team poured their equipment over it like a surgeon's table.

Azul nodded. "Apparently, police received a call from a farmer that lived nearby who heard a huge cracking sound. One might think it may be thunder, given the weather, but he found it sounding unusual. When he investigated, there was a dead body," Azul described.

Oni rubbed his face, trying to make sense of it all. Meanwhile, Azul slipped off to the side, speaking to the original caller. The caller was a human, at best eighteen years old with short blond hair. He had surprisingly tan skin, which Azul figured was the result of years of working outdoors. He also had on a black jacket and light grey cargo pants, and his feet were in dark work boots as well. "Do you live around here?" the elf asked.

The young man nodded. "My name is Jack Azmenak, and my family owns the farm just down the hill from where the so-called campfire area was," Jack stated, pointing at the now abandoned amphitheatre, "I was out in the barn finishing some cleanup when I heard the noise. Since our farm's fence was right against the foot of the hill, I decided to come up here."

Azul scratched his chin. "What makes you think it's not lightning or thunder?" he asked, gesturing to the skies. While there had yet to be a steady downpour, there were slight showers and drizzles here and there. With the breeze howling from the coast and through the woods, it was sending shivers up many officers' limbs.

Jack shook his head with a smile. "Lightning and thunder usually doesn't sound like that. Even if it's far away, the sound should be louder and crisper. I've worked on my parents' farm all my life, so I know what that sounded like," Jack explained, rubbing his arms up and down as another gust of wind shot through the hillside, "That one sounded more like a thud or thump, with a very low pitch. Besides, what type of thunder groans before sounding off?"

Before Azul could inquire more, a hand gripping his shoulder caused the elf to turn. His eyes caught the sight of a familiar sight, a shorter brunette woman from his unit. "We have some strange evidence being picked up in the woods," Cabalina pointed out, "From what the forensics people gathered, the chains that bolted down the sign seemed to have been cut. They found this fine metal powder recovered from the soil, so something fishy was going on."

"I see," Azul replied to his colleague with a sombre and glum tone. Originally, Azul was the only one on night shift, with Oni tagging along because Azul was in charge of training the rookie. But Cabalina was called up as well, just to provide backup to deal with the vast number of scouts that treaded through this area. Surely even one of them realized something was wrong with the sign, right? "So what did the kids say, and what about their troop leaders?"

"None of the troop leaders saw anything unusual about the sign, although there were a few kids who tripped and fell when they marched through the wooden floorboards," Cabalina continued, pointing to the walkway leading to the amphitheatre, "The most senior troop leader said he nearly came to an argument with the deceased after the deceased complained of certain visitors staying at the camp delaying his work. Perhaps we should check into that?"

Azul cocked an eyebrow. Perhaps these visitors had something to do with the situation? "Let's check it out. Oni, let's go," Azul called, waving his hand at the blond half-elf who was busy discussing with some other officers. As trainee returned to trainer, Azul turned to the young man he spoke with earlier. "Jack, is it alright if you come inside while we continue?" he asked.

The foursome slowly made their way to the main lodge, with Oni reporting some findings to Azul while adding in ideas of his own. "You know I'm a novice mage, right? Well, what if the suspect who cut the chain was an elf or half-elf, and used a spell to slice the chain link instead? It's totally possible, don't you think?" Oni suggested, turning to the elf directly on his right.

"But to slice through the chain that cleanly may imply there will be no residue, right? I'm not a spell caster, so I don't know, but won't a mana spell completely sever the chain link?" Azul countered, "And what possible spells may be cast that makes such a clean cut?"

"Well, several novice spells do have cutting tendencies," Oni explained, listing off a set that he was familiar with, "Aqua Edge creates these sharp water disks that sail through the air. Wind Blade creates a ball of air that slices at the target. Stone Blast, if done with rocks that are sharper, can cut through metal. And don't forget Icicle too, as the ice can be quite pointy. The question is, did anyone cast a spell at any point in time that ended up slicing the chains?"

"Actually, according to a couple of scout leaders, there was a spell casting demonstration, courtesy of one of the visitors," Cabalina reported, "I didn't get too many details from this, but a couple of campers said the spell caster was only a pre-teen. And if I didn't hear wrong, they said the spell caster shot spells out of his belly button? What kind of mage would cast like that?" Cabalina slowed her steps, scratching her now creased forehead.

Suddenly, Azul paused and started chuckling. The two officers and one witness glanced at the elf that now had his face covered with his right hand while chortling uncontrollably. "Uh, Officer, are you alright?" Jack asked, poking the tall figure to his left. From the far left of the formation, Cabalina craned her neck to see what was wrong with Azul, while Oni gaped at the composure of the usually calm and collected elf. What could possibly make Azul react like this?

It took a few more seconds before Azul lifted his head, his left hand waving to the group indicating that he was alright. "It's okay, I'm fine," he assured. His right hand was near his lips, trying hard not to hiccup. "It's just that, after what Cabalina told me, I realize there is only one person in the entire world that could have been the spell caster. And yes, I happen to know him."

The foursome stepped up the wooden entrance of the lodge, with Azul holding the door open while he let the other three in first. "Oni, you said you were interested in learning to cast spells, right? The individual that Cabalina just mentioned is the very person I want to introduce you to," Azul described, turning his eyes to the dining area which now served as an interrogation room of sorts, "And believe it or not, he's sitting right there."

The others followed Azul through a row of tables before getting to one closer to the corner, where a silver-haired figure dressed in a blue fleece vest over a lighter blue shirt just finished his interview with an officer. When the man in uniform stepped away from the table, the boy lifted his head. "Hey, Officer Kharlan!" he greeted, waving his hand at the elf.

"Hello, Genis," Azul returned the salutation, taking a seat before the young half-elf, "I want you to meet some people." He turned to introduce Cabalina, Jack, and Oni, all of whom stared at the energetic boy that Azul knew so well. "Genis and I happen to know each other through one of the most famous elves and spell casters in the world, the Heimdall elder named Ricardo. It's also interesting to note that when we first met, it was also during an investigation."

"That was six months ago, but I'm a better caster now," Genis responded, watching the group that sat before him, "But seriously, did somebody actually die out there? Did that sign really crush a person to death?" the silver-haired boy asked, his voice growing fearful.

Azul nodded sombrely. "I'm afraid so, Genis," he responded, "That's why we're coming around asking everyone if they noticed anything weird with the sign. Speaking of which, where are your friends and family? You didn't come alone, did you?"

"Lloyd, Colette, and Raine are being interviewed by other officers right now," Genis replied, a muffled rustling sound echoing from the fabric of his open-fingered gloves, courtesy of his hands nervously rubbing each other, "I never thought a weekend camping trip would end up like this. And before we got here, I was still making fun of Lloyd for getting us lost, and that we'd be eaten by bears had the boy scouts not taken us in," Genis concluded with a slight shake of the head and shiver of the body, his eyes dipping lower and away from Azul's glance.

"Well, we have some questions to ask you," Azul began, pulling out his notebook. From around him, Oni, Cabalina, and Jack observed Azul's questioning of his young friend. "I heard from some other witnesses that you've been doing a spell casting demonstration of sorts during campfire. Can you tell me what you did?"

"Well, when we were introduced to the scouts, they asked us to tell them a bit about ourselves. Raine had to go off on an embarrassing rant about appreciating history, as usual, but I told them about my casting abilities," Genis recalled, his face slightly scrunched up in stress, "I told them I knew how to manipulate mana, and then they asked for a demonstration."

Azul nodded, scribbling furiously on his page while Cabalina received a new set of notes from another interviewing officer. She handed a set to Azul while scanning through her set of notes. "How many spells did you end up casting, Genis?" the brunette asked, her eyes alternating between her pages and the half-elf boy.

"Two, both using my belly button," Genis responded, managing only a weak half-smile despite talking about his favourite body part, "I started off by showing them types of mana by making each just appear out of my hand. Fire, ice, electricity, I had each just hovering around my palm," Genis emphasized the act by holding out his two hands, pretending to hold onto a bowl or plate, "I showed them my custom-made belly shot after, using a burning flint and a wet piece of wood. It created Fireball and Aqua Edge, but neither spell traveled more than a few feet."

"The distance between the campfire and the sign is way more than a few feet, and according to most other witnesses, their accounts are consistent with what you said," Azul analyzed the testimonies handed to him by Cabalina while finishing his writing, "Unless a hundred sets of eyes all saw the wrong thing, I say that eliminates Genis Sage as a suspect."

"What if there's another spell caster in the crowd, and maybe they just left after they did their act?" Oni chimed in, eyes alternating between Cabalina's notes and Azul's notes, "Given they were doing renovations here, there's bound to be suppliers going back and forth, right?"

Before Azul or Cabalina could even search, Jack spoke up. "The road outside my house is the only route that connects to the highway. If either my family or anyone from the scouts' camp wishes to get out, that's the route they use," he described, "I actually did hear the sound of a vehicle driving through that road just minutes before the thud. I was in the barn at that time, so I couldn't see any details, but I saw just enough of it."

Suddenly, three police officers and one belly button fanatic turned to face the young rancher, who cupped his chin with one hand while closing his eyes in a bid to recall all details. "I lifted my head just in time to see the shadow of the vehicle pass through. I couldn't see what type of car it was or what colour, but I'm certain that it was heading to the highway," Jack explained, the dim lights above him seemingly becoming more focused on the teen, "I just went back to finish cleaning up, stepped out of the barn, and heard the thud. That was when I climbed over the fence, up the hill, and into the campfire area, and saw the dead body."

The officers glanced nervously at each other. Was there an unknown party who visited the camp, only to sneak off in the darkness of the night? What in the world was going on here?

* * *

><p>"Mr. Jacob Horace, is it? Please come in," Presea greeted the gruff man entering the interrogation room. The large man lumbered into the small chamber like a bear, with a demeanour to match as well. Dressed in a dark T-shirt and multi-pocketed vest, the man nodded to Presea, emitting barely a grunt as he approached the table.<p>

Presea cocked her head at the last second, realizing that Jacob had a distinct limp as he pulled the chair out from the desk. Quickly making a note of this, Presea slowly eased herself down across from Jacob, against the backdrop of the cream-coloured walls. "You are the usual renovation supplier for the deceased, Mr. John Walker, is that correct? Can you please tell me the nature of your work with him?" she asked.

Jacob grunted. "I was his supplier alright, and highlight the word 'was' for me," he began, his gruff voice echoing off the walls, making the room seem even smaller than before, "I have a warehouse with materials, and I supplied him with those goods to let him do his campsite maintenance. Usually he just picks up the stuff and pays me, but sometimes I may drop by his campsite to help out. But after what happened, I'm never cooperating with him again!" he spat.

Presea nodded with interest, realizing there was a potential lead here. Urging Jacob on, she got him to reveal what happened that led to the dissolving of their partnership. "I was busy the past month or so, so I didn't always have time to be at the warehouse. It was my wife who would do the books for me over there while I was gone," Jacob continued, dipping his head and allowing his shaggy hair to shade part of one eye, "One night about two weeks ago, I finished my renovation work with another client early, and went back to the warehouse to tidy up a bit. Lo and behold, there was Walker making passes at my wife! The nerve that guy has!" Jacob snapped, slapping his hand on the table, rattling the desk lamp and the television monitor.

Presea lifted her head, making sure the two items weren't damaged. Despite having an emotionally charged and tense suspect, the pink-haired officer was a sea of calm, so typical of her in her nearly four years of service in the Iselia Police Department. Pointing at Jacob's leg, she asked, "Is that injury a result of your work, or something else?"

Jacob smirked sarcastically. "This is a result of me confronting Walker, who got the nerve to tell me that he's been making passes at my wife for weeks already. I told him to stay away from her, and before you know it, he grabbed some plywood and smashed it against my legs," the renovation supplier described, pretending to swing an imaginary baseball bat, "I had to get checked up at the hospital because of that, and the doctors told me I might have to miss a good few weeks of work, at least until the bruising heals. All thanks to that wife-stealer, I say!"

Presea nodded emotionlessly, trying to test Jacob by releasing as little as possible with her most important question. Feeling the dim lights above her zero in on them, Presea took a deep breath and slowly proceeded with her query. "Are you aware of the campsite that the deceased worked in? Have you been there recently, especially near the amphitheatre?"

Jacob chuckled and shook his head. "Officer, which part of my current body's condition shows you I'm capable of taking a hike at a scouts' camp? I'm having enough trouble moving up the front steps of the police station," Jacob exclaimed, gesturing his arms wildly at the door, "I did get even with Walker though. I found out his wife's cellphone number, and told her of the transgression happening behind her back. As for what happened between them, I shudder to think about that. Besides, now that I cut the contract, he has no choice but to find another supplier. Hit his home and his wallet at once, so isn't that a dandy?"

Presea finished her notes and placed her pen down. "Mr. Horace, I suggest you be a bit more careful with your words. We believe there may be foul play involved in the death, and your prior history with him indicates you may have the motive to kill Mr. Walker. If you go around mouthing off like this, I can assure you that you will be near, if not at, the top of our suspect list." The Ozette native slowly closed her notebook while glaring at the large, gruff man.

In a complete reversal, Jacob changed his tune. "I assure you, Officer, I did not go to the campsite at all. In fact, ever since I cut my contract with him, I've been at home most of the time healing. Blame my nature of 'speak first, ask questions later' for my snarky remarks, but don't accuse me of being a murderer!" Jacob pleaded, trying to eke out a weak smile.

The petite officer didn't even have to stare down the renovation supplier. She watched the man literally shrink before her, nearly curling into a ball while she tapped her fingernails on the desk. After an intense few seconds of hearing the ventilation fan do a number on Jacob, the good side of Presea's mind took over. "We'll let you go for now, but if we have further questions we will contact you," Presea stated monotonously, stepping away from the table and to the door.

Jacob could only dip his head, nearly kowtowing at Presea. The large man scurried out of the interrogation room, the bright lights of the station never feeling so good. Jacob lumbered down the stairs, leaving Presea watching and smirking. Those who knew Presea would never describe her as a sadist, but her quiet nature and unique way of communication made it impossible for strangers to guess what she was thinking. She told just enough to let one jump to conclusions on their own, but never enough to show her full hand. So, when she unleashed some of her knowledge, there was a good chance someone would be blindsided.

Organizing her notes one more time, Presea marched back into the unit to hand them over to Cameryn. Somehow, in her mind, Jacob could not have been the killer. "He could barely walk, let alone climb through bushes just to cut a chain," she murmured to herself, "If a bunch of boy scouts, with their outdoors experience and hiking boots, could trip over that decaying wooden walkway near the sign, how well could a guy with a limp fare?"

* * *

><p>"Well, we've only been gone for a weekend, and already the website's forum is piling up," Lloyd commented as he scrolled through the webpage. It was truly comforting for the spiky-haired teen to be in contact with something familiar again, after what happened at the scouts' camp they were staying in. Lloyd partially blamed himself for that mess, given it was his poor directions that got them lost, leading the group to stumble into the scouts camp. But now, there wasn't much more he could do, except giving his testimony to the police, who ended up putting the case under his father's jurisdiction. "Wonder why they assigned Dad to the case?" he asked Colette, letting his girlfriend lean over his shoulder and glancing into her set of blue eyes.<p>

Colette shrugged. "Maybe they think he's the only one who can figure out why a sign that's been up for so long suddenly fell over and knocked someone dead?" she responded, an innocent look on her face, "Anyway, what's new with the website?"

"Ah, yes," Lloyd turned back to the computer and pointed his mouse at the forum, "Apparently, quite a few fans have already finished reading the novel, and are now commenting on the sequence of events. The one they talked about the most is the elaborate but discrete trail of clues that my dad wrote into the story, making the detective really have to think in order to get to the culprit." Lloyd clicked on a couple of posts, all the while writing responses of his own. "Of course, as the admin, I have to remind a few people not to give away too many spoilers due to some readers not having finished the book yet, but overall the posts are pretty acceptable."

Colette's eyes continued scanning the rows of topics after Lloyd clicked back to the main screen. She couldn't believe how many subjects the posters seemed interested in. "Here's a cool one," she pointed at one near the middle of the page, "Is the writer intentionally trying to write himself into the story?" From a past conversation with Lloyd, she recalled him saying that Gil did include bits of his own experiences into the book, so what did the fans think?

Lloyd clicked on the link and showed Colette the page, both teens reading the content of the posts carefully and absorbing the fans' words. "Dad did say this book was written for Mom, so I'm sure there were some references to the times they had together before she passed on," Lloyd paused for a moment to collect his thoughts, trying to gather the memories he still had of his mother. Lloyd sat stoic on his chair, wiping his chin while furrowing his eyebrows, with only the soft hum of the computer being heard in the room. "It's been so long since she was with us, so to memorialize her like that, I can imagine what Dad must be thinking."

Colette wrapped her arms around Lloyd, giving him a kiss on the cheek as she rubbed her face against his. Thinking back throughout history, and how their namesakes helped unite the world, Colette realized how much their current lives resembled the journey the Reunification group took. Did they have their own Reunification group right here, given how they seemed to have parallel lives? "Your mother was an admirer of the Reunification Group, and I know your father tried to honour that, so maybe he did write in a connection," Colette pointed out, "That, and the following years in the new world with Emil Castagnier and Marta Lualdi."

Lloyd nodded his head thoughtfully as he skimmed through a few more lines. The couple was so absorbed in their analysis that they didn't even hear the garage door humming close, or another door slamming shut, or even a pair of feet trotting up the stairs. "What's so fascinating that you two lovebirds had to cuddle up that tight to see?" A familiar voice called from Lloyd's bedroom door, jolting the two teens out of their trances.

Lloyd and Colette turned around to see the goateed face of Gilbert Irving sticking through the door. Gazing at the teens, Gil's lips curled up into a small smile. "Going through the website again, Lloyd? What did the fans say about me this time?" Gil asked.

"Hey Dad, glad you can make it," Lloyd greeted, waving Gil into the room," Colette and I were just wondering the same thing as the fans. How much were you actually trying to write yourself into the book? Also, how many historical references are there in the characters?"

Gil chuckled. "The million dollar question, isn't it? Everybody wants to know how much of the detective is based off of me and how many sequences are based off of historical events that Anna had interest in." Leaning against the doorframe, Gil scratched the beard part of his goatee, showing a mischievous twinkle in his eye before he answered, "The historical events are all based on the Reunification Journey, and themes that both Anna and I would have drawn from that. You may notice not just the detective, but the killer in the story, aren't exactly your prototypical hero and villain. Many things they do often border between good and evil, and if you compare them right, you will realize they actually have very few differences."

"I actually noticed something like that," Lloyd commented, clicking on another link. Colette immediately scurried behind him again while Gil slowly stepped into the room. Their eyes were on the next discussion board as Lloyd read out the contents. "We have one thread here that had some people wondering if the murderer intended to kill out of malice or if there was some psychological factor that caused the murderer to think that way. When they compared the similar backgrounds between the murderer and the detective, they realized both have a set of very close ideals, but just went about achieving them in different ways," Lloyd described.

Gil smiled. "That's exactly what happened in the Reunification Group, where they took on the one who separated the world. Both Lloyd Irving the hero and Mithos the fallen hero were idealists who believed in a better world, but sought to achieve it differently. Mithos believed the only way to succeed was to make everyone the same, but Lloyd believed it was better to allow for differences to be settled peacefully. In fact, the same thing nearly happened a short two years after Reunification, when the one known as Ratatosk tried to eradicate mankind," Gil explained.

"Oh yeah, I remember that," Colette recalled, thinking back to her project with Lloyd and Chocolat six months ago, "I know that was after the Chosen system was abolished and that the Church of Martel was disbanded not long after that. I heard something along the lines of the next hero, Emil Castagnier, somehow being merged with Ratatosk? The details are a little fuzzy for me after that, so I may have to study a bit harder when I get home," Colette trailed off.

Gil smiled and nodded. "Actually, that wasn't too far off. Ratatosk was upset that humans and half-elves were destroying the world, and wanted to send his monsters to wreak havoc on humanity. Emil Castagnier was the identity that Ratatosk took after he was defeated in his realm, using the body of the one Ratatosk supposedly killed. And it was during the time in our world that Ratatosk realized that kindness was not a weakness, something that he took with him when he returned to his realm," Gil lectured.

The two teens intently listened to Gil emphasize the message in his novel. "I was trying to create an environment where good and evil are really two sides of the same coin. Who would have thought that the first hero would ultimately create a world of lifeless beings? Who would have thought the guardian of the original Giant Kharlan Tree would send his monsters on the world? And who would have thought the saviours of the world started off as a country bumpkin and a spineless wimp? The fact is perception is not the real thing. Good and evil are never absolute, and results always matter. Had their certain events worked out or were widely accepted by people, many villains would be considered heroes," Gil concluded with a flourish.

Suddenly, Lloyd's eyes grew huge. By referring to that much history, Gil was pretty much trying to refer to himself. For his ten years as an undercover cop, Gil treaded the fine line between dark and light, constantly slipping back and forth along the way. He was a hero, albeit one who used methods regular folks deemed villainous, such as deception and manipulation, to get his way. But in the end, he did what he set out to do, and that was to defend the world and protected Lloyd and his friends. "So that's how you did it, right?" Lloyd stated with a smile, "You wrote yourself in through events of the past."

Gil smiled back. "That's for us to know and for the fans to find out. Just make sure not to give away any spoilers along the way, alright?" Gil requested. Turning around, he made for the door and headed for the stairs. "I'm preparing dinner now, so if you're free, come give me a hand. And Colette, you can stay for dinner if you wish. I'll give Frank a call and tell him you'll go home later…" Gil's voice trailed off as he headed for the kitchen.

"Sure, thank you!" Colette called, accepting the offer before reading the posts with Lloyd one more time. "So Lloyd, are you going to add some hints as to what your father intended to write to the fans, or will you keep them guessing?"

Lloyd smiled. "I think I'll keep them guessing," he replied, grabbing onto Colette's right hand with his left, "After all, all readers are entitled to their own interpretations, and I have no problem if they read it a bit differently. Besides, whatever the interpretation is, I'm glad you're here to discuss that with me." With that, the teens leaned in, their lips locking in a loving kiss.

It would be a few more seconds before the two sets of lips unlocked, with Colette bounding off downstairs to see if she could help Gil. "I'll be down in a second, so don't start without me," Lloyd stated, scrolling through the remaining posts. Reaching the more recent ones, he saw a couple that interested him. "Strange, these guys seem to think the killer in the book committed murders out of retribution. They believe the killer started killing because the world was unjust to him, taking away his past life and turning him into a murderer? Never heard that interpretation before," Lloyd commented under his breath.

Reading the posts once more, he shut down the internet and his computer, waiting for the whirring to end before racing down to help Gil and Colette in the kitchen. Whatever the readers were trying to say, it wasn't something that the spiky-haired teen was about to forget soon.

* * *

><p>"There you are, Raine," a dark-haired young woman wearing a purple vest and dark track pants greeted the silver-haired female half-elf, leaning past the door of the Brunel archaeology lab. Usually, at around mid-March, Raine only expected undergraduate students to visit her, most of them coming in to get help or hints for exams coming up in a month. And with her thesis to be presented shortly after that, Raine herself was also on the verge of reaching a milestone.<p>

"Oh, Sheena," Raine called out, turning around to meet the Mizuho native, "I haven't seen you around since our vacation last summer." Shortly after fending off the Cruxis attacks from Derris Kharlan, Sheena joined Raine and others on a vacation to Altamira. Unfortunately, it got her involved in a murder investigation where she was a prime suspect, leading to Gil having to rescue her while employing some unorthodox investigation techniques. After being saved from that ordeal, Sheena returned to Palmacosta, where she continued her graduate research work under fellow Mizuho native Dr. Mark Owen, a close friend of Frank Brunel's.

"Yeah, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Sheena replied, slipping into a chair close to Raine's cluttered corner. Artefacts, papers, and other miscellaneous objects littered the area. This large room suddenly looked very cramped, with the pile forming a wall of sorts, limiting Sheena's access to just the front. The Raine she knew didn't seem to be the messy type, so why the change? "Did a hurricane just blow through here?" Sheena observed.

Raine chuckled. "No, Frank and I just haven't had a chance to put the artefacts and other stuff back into the archives," she explained, "I was told there are renovations on our floor of the building, replacing some old pipes and other utilities. I didn't want to move these priceless and precious pieces in and out of the room while all that equipment was being moved, so I'm keeping them here until the renovation subsides."

Sheena nodded, her eyes picking out strange or unusual pieces along the way. Just like Raine, Sheena was one thesis presentation away from finishing a Master's Degree, except her project was more related to summoning rather than history. It didn't hurt that the Reunification group's summoner, a young lady going by the same name as Sheena, was also from Mizuho, making this a topic that hit much closer to her heart. "So what plans do you have after getting your Master's?" Sheena asked her half-elf friend and colleague, "Plan to do a PhD?"

Raine shrugged. "I've thought about it, and it's certainly possible. I enjoy the work, and if I get a PhD then it means I'm more likely to get a professorship. Why not do something that lets me do two things I'm passionate about, research and teaching, at the same time? Being able to seek that much knowledge, and disseminate it to all for future use, I can't think of a single goal more worth fighting for than that!" Raine exclaimed, her eyes nearly lighting up.

Sheena chuckled. That was more like the Raine she knew, the passion and iron will to change the world through knowledge seeping through her face. "I'm still undecided at the moment, so I'll just get my Master's first, and then we'll go from there," Sheena replied, slowly getting up off her seat, "I actually have to see a certain Professor Albane first, as I'm here in Iselia to attend his conference. I saw the map on the building's foyer that stated his lab was in the same hallway as yours, so that's why I can pop my head in here." Sheena tried to negotiate herself out from the quagmire, the mountains of materials making her take each step carefully.

"Actually, he's just down the hall from me. Do you want me to lead you?" Raine offered, following the dark-haired young woman as they headed out the door. Raine and Sheena took a left turn from the Brunel lab, going down the wide hallway that was being redone. From their positions, Raine and Sheena had the smell of rusty metals mixed with fresh paint penetrated into their noses. They could see electrical wiring sticking out of various holes drilled by the renovators, the metallic ends flicking at them like a snake's tongue while awaiting replacement. They had a feeling that this inconvenience was going to last longer than originally planned.

"You can't be serious, right?" Raine and Sheena paused just as they were about to enter the next lab. Even from outside the door, the two could hear a young man's voice arguing with an older man's. "How can you take that attitude towards this matter? Aren't you going to defend me here at all?" the younger voice demanded.

Raine and Sheena poked their heads into the lab to see a blond young man waving a set of papers frantically, his shirt flapping up and down with every move. "I'm being accused of academic dishonesty here, so can you at least cut me some slack?" he shouted.

The older man, a mahogany-haired individual wearing a light green dress shirt tucked neatly into his dark dress pants, merely shook his head. "I warned you about this before, Andy," he stated diplomatically, "Your research has been careless and you barely picked up anything from conferences given by guest speakers. Added to the numerous complaints I got from the students who had you as a TA, I'm surprised this didn't occur sooner!"

Andy, the younger man, threw up his arms in complete shock. "Look, Professor, I think I'm entitled to run the lab portion of our course my way, alright? And so I've missed a couple of conferences, but is that really going to matter? You can't always have me pride myself as a research-first grad student, you know!" Andy pointed out, shoving his hands onto his hips.

But Professor Albane was not to be denied. Known for his devotion to academic honesty, the middle-aged man pulled a perfect reversal on his junior. "Let's look at the letter from the academic committee, shall we?" he stated, pulling the sheet in question from Andy's hands, "It is addressed to you, and it clearly stated that for your research proposals and drafts, you've been doing nothing more than copy and paste. You never cited your sources, and pretty much plagiarized old research, some of which I did, onto your papers. Care to explain that to me?"

Andy's mouth stuttered as Albane continued his onslaught. "Let's hear some complaints from the students too," he added, picking up some sheets from a side table, "I have students saying that you were always off-topic during lab time, speaking about a variety of issues not related to the course. One student even claimed there was one lab period where you spent two out of three hours whining about your stress and shooting him condescending looks every time he tried to ask you a question. Why don't you explain that to me?" Albane challenged.

The blond TA scratched his head, causing the room to fall completely silent. He shot daggers into the professor, who only crossed his arms and stared emotionlessly back at the young man. Notwithstanding the scraping sounds of the renovator down the hall removing old paint off the walls, an eerie silence descended onto the archaeology lab.

Sheena decided to break the silence by gently clearing her throat, getting both Andy and Albane to shoot their glances her way. Albane's look softened upon recognizing the visitor immediately. "You're Sheena, right? You're Mark Owen's grad student, here to attend my conference?" he asked, "I'm sorry for that situation earlier. I didn't see you come in."

"Uh, if I came at a bad time, then maybe we can wait until tomorrow before we talk about our research," Sheena offered, eyeing the tense graduate student. Andy's arms, shoulder, and even abdomen were still clenched, the latter was courtesy of the red Loni-Kyle shirt he had on that showed his stomach to Sheena. "Do you want me to come back another time?"

"Oh, that's fine," Albane responded, waving Raine and Sheena deeper into the lab. They approached an office at the far end, where Albane usually worked, and saw that it was quite a mess as well, like Frank's office. "You're not going to get much of a chance to talk, with both the conference going on tomorrow and the renovation people going in and out. Besides, what happened earlier is nothing you should worry about. It's no big deal."

"No big deal? My reputation is destroyed, and you dare say no big deal?" Andy sputtered from behind them, "I'm facing a possible suspension, if not downright expulsion here, Sir!"

"You think my reputation isn't ruined because of this?" Albane retorted, craning his neck around Raine and Sheena to glare back at his graduate student, "But regardless of what's going on, it's your job to discuss with the academic committee as to what happened. If you can hand me a copy of your progress during the years with me, then maybe I can better make a case for you in front of them. Otherwise, get ready to pack your bags and leave."

Andy said nothing, merely kicking a nearby cabinet in frustration before he stormed out. The half-elf could only shake her head to see her colleague in this position. While she didn't know Andy well, she heard stories from professors and fellow graduate students that Andy had a poor record in the faculty, both as a researcher and a TA. A few times the blond TA blurted out negative stuff behind people's backs that led to insulting or embarrassing situations, especially in a world as small as the academia in archaeology and history. Even so, never in her life did Raine imagine Andy commit the cardinal sin of plagiarism.

Turning back to Albane, she immersed herself in the interesting topics volleyed between the professor and Sheena. Albane was an expert in ancient weapons, including those involving mana. This fit well with Sheena's topic of summoning, which could be considered an attack of sorts. As Raine tried to pay attention, she couldn't help but notice a strange flickering from the corner of her eye. She turned her head around, trying to locate the strange phenomenon. "Is there a broken light in here or something?" Raine wondered aloud.

Luckily, Albane heard her from inside his office, and showed Raine the problem. "The light in my fish tank seems to be acting up recently." He pointed a finger at a long rectangular container of tropical fish. Indeed, the light above the water flashed a couple of times, making the fish swim around awkwardly. "I've been trying to fix this for about a week now, but no luck. I've just been too busy with research, preparing for this conference, and attending my son's fencing match. You've heard about my son, right Raine? He's a freshman here this year?"

Raine nodded. "He's on the fencing team, right? I heard something about him advancing to regional championship round already. Is that true?" she asked.

Albane nodded and smiled. "I'm so proud of that boy. I never knew my research into past weapons and fighting styles would end up like this. Can you imagine him telling me when he was little that the only reason he got into fencing was because he wanted to be just like those swordsmen I study all the time? That's unbelievable!" Albane commented, shaking his head, "Anyway, he's got a match next week, so he's practicing late every day this week. Hopefully I can get the conference out of the way so my wife and I can both go see him."

Raine and Sheena both smiled back at Albane, admiring how devoted he was not just to his work, but to his family. "Anyway, let's keep talking about our topics," Sheena suggested, "But still, don't you think you should get that light fixed soon?"

Albane glanced at the fish tank once more. "Other than me, Andy is the only other person who would be here, so it's not like there are people observing my fish all the time," he replied, "I say it's not a main priority for me, especially with what's going on with Andy. If the committee doesn't agree with Andy's reasoning, I may soon have to find another research assistant."

* * *

><p>"So what do the forensics reports say about the sign?" Captain Noishe asked the team, who gathered in their unit conference room. In human form, the Protozoan's final evolutionary stage, Noishe was a tall human, standing slightly taller than six feet. He had a strange mix of light and dark green hair, with darker strands on the centre while lighter ones appear on the sides. Wearing a light blue dress shirt tucked into dark dress pants, Noishe had the business casual look rather than the more formal clothing or uniforms worn by his counterparts in other units.<p>

"The metallic powder found on the ground has the same chemical properties as the chains holding up the sign, meaning they were indeed one and the same," Cabalina reported, reading out the details from the report before her, "Our initial thoughts are confirmed, and that this chain was tampered with, leading to the sign falling and crushing the deceased."

Noishe nodded. Rubbing his mouth nervously, he turned to Azul, who had records of the eyewitness accounts. "I assume Cameryn typed those up for you, yes? What's the main theme from what the scouts and visitors saw?" He asked.

Azul cleared his throat and searched through the notes before him. "All eye witnesses confirm that there was nothing suspicious with the sign prior to them leaving. According to the most senior troop leader, he was the last one to leave the area, after seeing some of the children trip over an old wooden walkway," Azul described, his eyes scanning each line carefully as to not miss any details, "I think a period of time passed between when the campfire was emptied and when the sign fell on the deceased. Maybe the chain was severed at that time?"

Noishe cupped his chin. "This isn't really getting us anywhere. The evidence is only pointing to everything that we know already happened. There isn't anything there that states anything new or puts us on a new path," he mumbled. Turning to Presea, he asked for reports on potential suspects. "You interviewed the original renovation supplier and some people close to the deceased, right? Did you find anything new from there?"

Presea took a deep breath before answering. "All suspects either have an alibi during the time of death, or they simply aren't fit for going out to the wilderness to cut the chain. The one with the greatest motive, the former renovation supplier, had his legs bruised by Walker in a fight. He wouldn't be in any position to do any hiking in the hills, let alone climb into the shrubs to cut a chain," Presea explained in a calm, monotone voice, "I think, with the way things are going, we won't be arresting any of these people."

Noishe bit his lower lip, stumped by another dead end from the suspect list. Just when he was about to move on, the newest member of the team spoke up. "I recall from the people at the campsite that there was a visitor of sorts to that camp that drove off in the middle of the night," Oni suggested, "Recalling the testimony of the farmer's son Jack Azmenak, he heard a car drive through the road outside his barn. Does the camp have a visitor's log of some sort, so we can check who this mystery person is?"

A strange silence washed over the team, wondering if they truly missed out on something important. Given maintenance had to be done, there should have been deliveries made. But the renovation supplier Walker used to rely on cut the contract afterwards, leaving him to scramble to find another option. Was there another renovation supplier around that campsite? Did this new supplier appear during the time of death? Or perhaps this new supplier had something to do with the death, and slipped away while everyone went back to their cabins?

Just then, the only person who hadn't spoken raised an issue. "We have to look at one of the most obvious factors around," Gil pointed out, "We have to know what the deceased did during the time he worked there, from when the contract between him and Horace was cancelled, to when he was killed. Since we've pretty much shown all the other alternatives to be impossible, this is the only lead we have for now. Whoever that was there with Walker before he died, that has got to be the most likely killer."

Noishe tilted his gaze over to the man sitting in the front seat directly at his left. Knowing Gil since before his undercover days, Noishe was aware that this was a staff sergeant who was never short of ideas, sometimes resorting to unorthodox methods just to solve crimes. But right now, even Gil was starting to sound defeated. "Does everyone agree to this then? Should we focus our efforts on the campsite once more, and check their visitors?" Noishe asked.

"Once you've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." Gil stared determinedly at his team before continuing, "A famous fictional detective once said that in a book that's about a hundred years old. While I'm not duplicating his techniques in this case, I'm asking us to adopt his mindset. Even if a potential lead is improbable, we should still check it out. And that's why we have to return to the campsite ASAP."

Noishe nodded. "I think based on what we have here, there isn't much more we can do but check out who's been around that campsite and what they did there. So let's get moving, everyone!" Noishe concluded with a clap of his hands.

As the officers filed out of the conference room, Gil approached Noishe. "I have an idea, but because I'm not sure of its merits, I want to talk to you about it before suggesting it to the team." He pulled out a set of notes to Noishe, who glanced at the writing with interest. It was quite messy and unorganized, something out of character for the former mole who kept pinpoint precision notes during his time undercover. "I've been looking at the way this incident occurred, from the way the deceased was killed, to the way the chains were cut. Everything here indicates the culprit, whoever he or she is, seems very familiar with the surroundings."

Noishe watched Gil show him the gathered information. "The killer must have had a knowledge of metallurgy, must have had access to tools that can cut the chain off that cleanly, must have had enough physical ability to climb into the bushes on both sides where the chain was bolted down, and must have observed the deceased enough to know of his responsibilities to the camp," Gil listed off each factor clearly, "We're looking at a probable case of premeditated murder, one that has been thought out by a very intelligent individual."

Noishe was completely silent, not knowing which part of the messy notes in Gil's hands to believe. Noishe had been through a lot in his many years, seeing the world torn apart and put together, only to fall into more chaos with Sylvarant and Tethe'alla fighting for power. Each time, he was observant enough to see mistakes being made by each group's leaders, even when they were on the winning side. But for this case, it almost felt like the culprit was so careful that he or she took every measure to avoid mistakes. "So what do you suggest right now?" Noishe asked, "Should we tell the team about this idea at all? Surely you don't believe this person can outsmart all six of us, do you?"

Gil bit his lower lip, emitting a wave-like sigh from his nostrils. "I wish I can say that the culprit can't outsmart us, but that would be a huge lie," he muttered, "I can try to lead the team in the right direction, but this investigation will be very taxing. It would take all of us to put our heads together if we want to get to the bottom of this."

* * *

><p>And in case you're wondering, there is a Tales of Phantasia reference in this chapter. Many people consider TOP as being on the same timeline as TOS (several thousand years into the future), but since my story is AU, it means TOP events never happened. Cress Albane and his buddies will exist in this universe but as regular folks, although I haven't decided if Cress should make an actual appearance in this story. Give me your feedback on what you want to happen with that, thank you!<p> 


	3. The Electrifying Fish Tank

I want to thank** Phazon**, **AccessBlade**, **Fenrir of the Shadows**, and **Wavebreeze** for the reviews from last chapter. It's great to see more people dropping by this story now. And great timing too, because the action is starting to pick up. To address a couple of points first, the forum on Lloyd's website is meant to be like a parallel world to the real world, as the fans take on what they feel should happen should Gil's novel exist in real life. So if the posts seem a bit tedious, it's because I want to show what the fans are thinking. As well, due to requests from a couple of people, Cress Albane, the first Tales hero, will make a cameo appearance in this chapter. So get ready for this wild ride!

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. **AccessBlade** owns Cameryn Lachance. **Fenrir of the Shadows** owns Azul Kharlan. **Legend of Zelda 4 Life** owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.

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><p>"Professor Albane, are you there?" Sheena asked, gently knocking on the lab door while waiting patiently outside. It was the next day, when the conference was about to begin. Sheena was hoping to meet with the main speaker one more time before attending the talk, but Albane was nowhere to be found at the auditorium. Why was there a delay?<p>

"The professor's not in. If you don't have something urgent, then I suggest you please leave," a younger voice called in a snarky tone. Sheena craned her neck just in time to see Andy, the graduate student being accused of academic misconduct, stalking up to her. The blond TA glared at her with emotionless eyes and an otherwise unfriendly face. It was a sight that sent a shiver down the Mizuho native's spine.

Despite the chill emanating from the room, Sheena took a deep breath and struck a civil tone. "I'm just looking for the professor, that's all," she insisted, lifting her hands and gesturing for calmness, "I'm sorry if I disturbed you, and I'll be happy if you can tell me where he went."

Instead of taking it easy, Andy unleashed a tirade on Sheena. "I had to slave away all night last night just to finish that proposal for the professor, just so he could have a copy of my record with him when he meets with the committee. But if you think he's there to defend me, then you're sadly mistaken. I doubt he'll do anything more than trying to cover his own butt and hanging me out to dry. So if all you're doing is..."

"What's going on?" Sheena turned around to face the source of the new voice. Luckily, it was Professor Albane, which made Sheena feel a bit more at ease. "I was handing papers into the main department office, after the academic committee gave me a date for Andy's hearing," he explained, "Sheena, are you looking for me because of the lecture?"

"Yes, I was hoping to ask a couple of things before the conference starts," Sheena replied meekly, albeit more confidently than when Andy first confronted her, "I certainly didn't mean to interrupt some people's work, whatever they're doing here," Sheena concluded sharply, giving Andy an unfriendly stare of her own while turning to leave.

"Hey, I'm busy enough as is. And with this type of system working in our department, it's no wonder graduate students here are so disgruntled!" Andy retorted, glaring at the Mizuho native the entire way. Notwithstanding the renovation crew's arrival, the tension was mounting between Andy and Sheena, causing Albane to intervene.

"Raine works just as hard for Dr. Brunel next door, but you don't hear her complain about how the system is being unfair to her," the middle-aged man responded, staring back at him uncompromisingly, "Is that the attitude you use to treat anyone who disturbs you? Then no wonder all the undergrads in your lab section are writing complaints about you."

Before Andy could get another word in, Albane stepped away from his lab. Joining Sheena, he proceeded to discussing the topics of interest with her while heading for the auditorium downstairs, where he was to give his talk. In the lab, Andy could do nothing more than clench his fists and his teeth, grumbling incoherently under his breath. "This is ridiculous," he muttered before storming back to his desk.

The blond TA was silent as he sat on his chair, staring aimlessly at the ceiling and mulling over what happened in the past few days. Not only was he caught with academic dishonesty, all his undergrad students were reporting him to the professor and the department. The sad part was it seemed like nobody was on his side. Just yesterday, Albane was so busy talking about his conference and his son's fencing skills that it felt like Andy was no longer a priority in the man's eyes. What type of supervisor would do that to their only research assistant?

And speaking of the son, Andy was particularly incensed at the junior Albane, who made appearances to the lab recently. Each time he was looking for his father, either talking about his fencing practice or matches. Didn't that boy realize there were more important things to do than to discuss such trivial things? "I'm about five years older than Albane Jr., but yet I know better than that," Andy murmured bitterly, "Albane's got his priorities mixed up, that's for sure."

Yet on the issue of priorities, something flickering from the side of the room caught Andy's attention. It was the fish tank that Albane kept in his lab. Andy could never figure out why the professor was so interested in keeping tropical fish in an archaeology lab, especially in a tank that didn't even work properly. With the light flashing nonstop for weeks, every time Andy stared at that thing he felt like clawing his eyes out. "How expensive is it to fix a darn light bulb anyway?" he grumbled, getting out of his seat and approaching the tank.

The irascible TA showed up, glaring at the animals in irritation. He lifted the lid off the tank, causing the fish to swim uneasily. Other than Albane, he was the only one who usually had access to the fish, and knew how to fix the sputtering light. Andy recalled one day that the tank was flashing again while Albane's son dropped by. Naturally, Junior was asking why it had such problems, and Andy was not pleased by the younger man's attitude. "If he's so concerned about the light, why didn't he do Pops a favour and fixed it himself?" Andy snorted.

Nonetheless, until Albane chose to focus more on the tank, it would always be up to Andy to jiggle the wires. Rolling up a sleeve, the TA slipped a hand into the water, feeling for the wires that connected to the lamp. There were several wires that lined the top of the tank, and Andy knew he had to be extra careful to not come in contact with the water while he jiggled them around. "Where on earth are those lines?"

Just as Andy wrapped his fingers on the wires, a jolting sensation shot through his body. Countless volts of electricity surged through him as he tried jerking his hand away, only to drop his fingers and the wires into the water. By then, the whole tank was filled with electricity, surging through Andy's body and literally cooking the TA alive. Andy was nothing more than a flipping puppet against the wires, completely powerless to stop the current.

"Andy, I'm not here to bother you, but...Holy Cow!" Sheena exclaimed as she entered the room. Originally, she was only here to grab a set of notes that Albane forgot to bring with him. She didn't even want to be here when Albane requested that she fetched the notes, given how aggressive Andy was to her earlier. But now, it seemed like there was a whole new ballgame.

Sheena's eyes shot around the room quickly, hoping there was a long pole that did not conduct electricity around. Despite her frantic nerves, Sheena remembered that grabbing a victim while the electricity was still surging through him would result in being electrocuted herself. Taking a couple of deep breaths to calm herself, she rifled through the room for the object in question. "Isn't there a broom or mop around here?" she ranted frenetically.

But it was too late for her, as Andy fell from the tank and flopped onto the ground. His body convulsed involuntarily and hissed with electricity. Sheena lifted her head just in time to see the blond-haired young man's lifeless expression, nearly making her lose her breakfast on the spot. "I got to get help," she eked out, reaching into her pocket with a shaking hand while racing next door to the Brunel lab, "I hope Raine has a healing spell that can cure one of being electrocuted," Sheena muttered as she dialled 9-1-1, her palms now filling with perspiration.

* * *

><p>"When did Captain Noishe say he'll be back from the press conference?" Presea asked Cameryn as they waited for their captain to return. With the lack of leads from current evidence and half their team returning to the campsite, Noishe figured to go public with some of their findings, in hopes that someone involved with the campsite could help them out. With Gil inside his office and Azul, Oni, and Cabalina at the scouts' camp, the unit was strangely silent.<p>

Cameryn smiled. "He should be back by lunchtime, if I recall correctly," the strawberry blond secretary responded, flipping through her day planner, "Presea, don't worry about it. I'm sure if everything comes back from the campsite, we should have a new lead."

"Oh, it's not the new leads I'm worried about. If there were visitors recorded for that camp, then a new lead goes without saying," Presea replied, taking a seat in front of Cameryn's large desk. The corner that Cameryn used to occupy in the office looked much emptier now that some documents had been taken to the Archives Department. It was a sight that Cameryn looked forward to, given it made her area that much easier to organize. "I'm just saying that there seems to be something weird about the way this death happened."

Cameryn stopped her work to stare straight into Presea's eyes. Other than the ventilation system above, not a sound could be heard in the empty unit. "You know I've bought a copy of Gil's book, right?" Presea stated, pulling out Gil's novel from her lap, "Well, I haven't gotten too far into it yet, but I did read enough of it so far to pick up something unusual, at least in terms of application to our case. Do you have a copy, by the way?" she asked.

Cameryn shook her head. "No, I'm afraid I haven't gotten a chance to get to the bookstore recently. But if I do visit the bookstore in the near future, I'll be sure to look for that novel," Cameryn stated, "Anyway, what's so unusual about the book?"

Presea flipped to the page where her bookmark was. "I just finished reading the sequence where the detective found out about the first death," she explained, her eyes lining through the words, "I found out that in terms of details, the first death in the book almost mirrors the death at the campsite. If you don't mind spoilers, let me tell you a bit about it."

Cameryn leaned her body eagerly over the desk, hearing Presea point out each and every detail. "The killer in the book chose a secluded area, an alley of sorts where few people would frequent. In that environment, there were these old signs that hung above the streets, and the killer spotted his target as someone who had a storage room right below that sign. To make the kill, the killer cut the chains holding that sign up and allowed it to fall on the target when the target went to the storage room. The target was instantly killed."

Cameryn froze, the colour flushing in and out of her face. Flipping through the notes she typed up on the campground case, she pointed out each important detail. "The chains holding this sign up were also cut, and they were anchored down in the bushes, meaning they weren't easily accessible. The deceased was at the storage room earlier, which is similar to what was written in the book," she described, "Are you saying someone was mimicking that character?"

Presea shrugged. "It's just a hunch, and until we get more evidence to prove that, I don't think I can make more out of this," she conceded, leaning her back on her chair, "I just find it odd that within a week of this novel's debut, there would be a death so similar to it. It makes me wonder if the campsite killer is a fan of Gil's work."

The strange silence was broken by a cheerful voice greeting them from the unit entrance. "Why is it so quiet in here?" it asked. Presea and Cameryn lifted their heads just in time to see Robert's heavyset frame leaning against the door. "Where did everyone go?" Robert queried.

"Hey Bob," Presea greeted her former teammate, "the rest of the team is on the field, Captain Noishe is at a press conference, and Gil's huddled in his office." Presea gestured at the chair next to hers in front of Cameryn's desk, to which Robert promptly approached and plopped himself down on. "Aren't you busy at Archives today? Don't you have training to do?"

Robert shrugged. "Paperwork isn't anything I can't handle. Plus, the team lead won't be in until the afternoon, so there's not much for me to do there," the large man responded, "I have some free time, and the other guys got everything handled, so I might as well pop in for a visit."

"Won't you get in trouble for that?" Cameryn asked, worry and concern seeping through her glasses, "The police chief created the Archives Department to make us more productive with our working time. What if he finds out that you guys are slacking off in Archives?"

Robert chuckled at Cameryn's comment. "Do you really believe that, Cameryn? I'd be more convinced if you told me Anthony Marshall was upset at me. But this guy, not a chance," Robert scoffed with a careless wave of the hand, "The only reason this guy was made Marshall's replacement was because he was endorsed by the ethics commissioner, and he was endorsed only because he was by-the-book. Marshall knew what he was doing, and had our organizational structure down to a tee. This guy only knows how to refer to the rules, which happens to be set and audited by the ethics commissioner. What type of a chief do you call that then?"

"This is the same ethics commissioner that investigated Major Crimes and SIU after Chief Marshall was thrown off that building, right?" Presea asked, recalling to her days when she was still a Cruxis mole. From what Gil told her, the ethics commissioner cleared both Noishe and Captain Eric Burton of Presea's former unit, but not before humiliating them with all sorts of strange questions and policies. It was something that neither captain was fond of, even though everyone knew each unit was merely doing its assigned job.

Robert nodded. "The ethics commissioner is a career bureaucrat. He doesn't have a single investigative bone in his body," Robert spat with disgust, "He hides in his little office behind his mountain of policies, and attacks anyone he doesn't like with them. He has an answer already set for each party, and just cherry-picks the right policy to make his idea fit. He either likes you or he doesn't, but you're guaranteed to get pummelled if he ever investigates you. He only endorses the most by-the-book person to be chief so he can further exert his policies. It's sad, really."

"I wouldn't say that," a male voice commented. All three heads lifted to see the hallway behind Cameryn's desk to see Gil step out of his office. "I know the ethics commissioner isn't the most popular guy around, but you have to admit that his role is required. Who will check the powers of the upper level staff when things get out of control?" Gil asked rhetorically, leaning the left side of his body against the wall while crossing his arms, "Anyway, let's forget about him. How are things at Archives, Bob? Anything interesting there we should know about?"

"Ah, yes," Robert replied, his goofy grin returning as he listed off the special features in his new department, "I'm happy to say that our database of old cases is up and running. We have the cases sorted by status; either they are completed, incomplete, or cold. We also have a list of those with criminal records available in a centralized storage system. Today, we are supposed to start up on a system that checks people who went through identity changes, such as changing names or other important governmental information. When our team lead comes in this afternoon I will check on that. But overall, the progress seems to be working well."

Just then, the unit telephone rang, making Cameryn excuse herself while Gil brought Presea and Robert to Presea's cubicle. "So all data are online, and any officer wanting to access the database just has to log in? Or will you actually have to retrieve it for us?" Gil asked Robert.

"Well, a few things still have to be fine-tuned, mainly because the databases are still quite new," Robert explained, "Until we can get the IT Department to come do a full quality control run, we aren't too keen on letting the other officers use them from their units yet. But I assure you, if you ever want anything, just give me a call and I'll try to have it done for you within twenty-four hours. Do you have my new extension number, by the way?"

Before Gil could answer Robert, Cameryn's voice sliced through the air. "Sergeant, Presea, we have another strange death. This time it is at the University of Iselia," Cameryn reported, "I got this call from the forensics team, who are at the crime scene right now. The victim was electrocuted when reaching into a fish tank, and they believe the tank was tampered with. They would like you to go take a look immediately."

Gil, Presea, and Robert all froze. Their first mysterious death was barely investigated through, and now there was a second one? What was going on in Iselia the past week?

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><p>The university lab was messier than usual as officers scoured the area for evidence. Many artefacts and other research materials had to be moved out of the way for the police, who also had to deal with ongoing renovation to the hallways. As Gil and Presea observed from their end of the hall, they were suddenly relieved that Cabalina, Azul, and Oni chose to revisit the scouts' camp instead. "Think how chaotic it'd be if they also showed up," Gil commented, "With all these bodies moving around, I doubt anything can get done efficiently."<p>

Approaching the doorway to the Albane lab, Gil and Presea observed the crime scene. According to the phone call fielded by Cameryn, the death was caused by electricity leaking from the fish tank. The object in question was placed near the back of the lab, the light now off and the tropical fish all belly-up. The deceased was Professor Albane's graduate student and research assistant Andy, whose body was now covered by a tarp and being lifted onto a stretcher. "No doubt the coroner will be having a good look at that," Presea pointed out.

Before Gil could reply, something from the corner of his eye got his attention. "Presea, why don't you go into the lab and speak with the forensics team first," Gil suggested, "I just saw someone here that perhaps I should have a word with." With that, he turned away from the pink-haired officer and hurried in the opposite direction, towards the lab just next door.

Two familiar figures were outside the adjacent lab, belonging to Gil's good friend Frank Brunel. One figure was female, with silver hair, and standing over a seated figure with black hair. The seated young woman was slouched over, her face slightly pale and her hands shaking even as she held a glass of water. A police officer stood before them, still jotting down answers from the silver-haired half-elf, who was also looking over at her friend.

Sensing things were not well, the staff sergeant decided to intervene. "Do you mind if I take over?" Gil offered, placing a hand on the uniformed officer. As the interviewer ceded to his superior, Gil turned to the two familiar faces. "Raine, Sheena, I assume you know what occurred over there, right? Are you alright? Did you see anything?" Gil asked gently. He was especially concerned with Sheena, who had bad memories of electrocution. In an incident that occurred years back, Sheena's grandfather was involved in an accident with the Summon Spirit of Lightning, Volt. Despite coming from a military family, it was something that still haunted her.

"It was so scary," Sheena murmured, her eyes still pointing at the ground while her head shook slightly, "I thought imagining my grandfather's team being hit by Volt was bad enough, but this time I had to actually watch someone being electrocuted. I went in just to get some notes for Professor Albane, and there he was flopping around like crazy. It was horrible!"

Raine placed a hand on Sheena's shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Sheena came into my lab in complete shock, telling me to help her all the while she was calling on her cellphone," Raine described, "I went over to the other lab and Andy already collapsed onto the ground. He was already convulsing, and by the time I reached him, he was pretty much gone."

Raine's words slammed into Gil like a brick. According to what Raine said, there might not even be enough time to revive Andy. "You did try to use First Aid on him, right? And I assume that didn't work out well?" Gil queried, his tone now sombre.

Raine shook her head gravely. "First Aid is meant to be a temporary healing spell, capable of making a weak body last longer than what is usually expected," Raine explained, "I did try to use that on him, but the problem is that he's close to death. Even if slight healing was done, it only prolonged his lifespan by less than ten minutes. By the time the paramedics arrived, resuscitation was the only thing they could do, and they weren't successful in that."

Gil clacked his tongue. How could a supposedly functioning fish tank suddenly go haywire like that? Most fish tanks were very safe, and leaking of electricity was very rare. Was the forensics team correct when they hypothesized that there was tampering here? "Did you guys notice what the fish tank was like before? Was it malfunctioning even before today?" Gil asked.

Raine and Sheena thought back to yesterday, when they originally approached Albane. "Albane did say that the tank flickered quite a bit before, but he never really called a technician to fix it," Raine replied, "I think he said something along the lines of nobody really observing his fish anyway, so it wasn't a priority for him. The rest of the details, you'll have to ask the professor when he arrives. He's currently at a conference right now and can't be reached."

Gil nodded his head, making a mental note to bring Albane in for questioning whenever he could be reached. "Did you notice anything going on with the deceased prior to today?" Gil continued, "Have you spoken to him? Did anyone go in and out of the lab? That sort of thing?"

Raine took a deep breath, recollecting the details from her last encounter with Andy. "Sheena and I did go to the lab yesterday, and we saw Andy in an argument with Professor Albane. It was something about academic dishonesty and that Andy was being investigated by an academic committee or something," Raine recalled, "I know after Professor Albane told Andy to make a summary on his progress as Albane's assistant, Andy left us alone. Sheena and I then talked to Professor Albane for a while, and after that I went back to my lab. What happened in there with Sheena, Albane, and Andy, I don't know."

Two sets of eyes landed on Sheena, who lifted her head hesitantly. Her eyes were near the point of watery as she unsteadily lifted the glass of water to her mouth. She took a sip with great difficulty before addressing Gil's point. "I was with Albane for a few more minutes, but I didn't notice anything going on," she replied in a hoarse voice, "I didn't even recall Andy speaking to us for the duration of the visit or the rest of the day."

"But have you seen him after yesterday's visit but before his death this morning?" Gil asked again, "I mean, given you said there didn't seem to be anything wrong with the tank during the time you were there, that means there has to be a time when it malfunctioned..."

"Actually, I did see him this morning," Sheena interrupted, her voice a little stronger, "I wanted to talk to Professor Albane just before he presented, but ran into Andy instead. He was pretty unfriendly, and didn't want me around. Professor Albane showed up and we left, but I did not touch the tank at all. By the time I went back, he was already convulsing..."

"Sheena, don't worry. I'm not accusing you of murder, so this won't be a repeat of the Altamira incident," Gil assured the Mizuho native, referring to their last vacation in Altamira when Sheena was accused of attacking her high school classmate with a wine bottle, "I still have to talk to forensics about that fish tank, so a lot still has to be confirmed before I can judge what went on. But either way, that was all you saw? You came back to the lab once more to retrieve some notes Albane left behind, and that's when the event happened?"

Sheena could only nod weakly as she tried sipping from her glass again. From beside her, Raine tilted her head a couple of times at Gil, signalling him to stop asking questions. Sensing how uncomfortable Sheena still was, Gil cut short his interrogation and stepped away from the twosome. The goateed man still had some issues to sort out, but decided to let Sheena calm down before proceeding. "She should still be in town for the rest of the week, right? Maybe I can ask her to come in later on," Gil murmured to himself.

But before Gil could re-enter the Albane lab, the forensics team blocked his way. The plainclothes staff sergeant then saw three forensics members hoisting the fish tank onto a waiting cart, the glass case still filled with water and dead fish. From his angle, he could still see the loose wires hanging loosely from the top of the tank, with the uncovered metallic ends dipping into the water. How could it be possible that these wires, which should usually be tucked neatly away as to avoid the water, hung so nonchalantly down, to the point where it was dangerously touching the water? Was this a result of the tank being tampered with? Did Professor Albane know about this, or did someone else do the dirty work?

* * *

><p>"How do we want to reassign the workload right now?" Noishe asked the team, who now gathered in the meeting room again. It was already late afternoon, and facing them was not just one, but two suspicious deaths. It put Cabalina, Azul, and Oni in quite a predicament, having returned to the unit to drop all the documents and information retrieved from the campsite, just to start interrogations with witnesses on a case that they had no idea about.<p>

"Well, we pretty much have to split them down the middle, right?" Gil suggested, waving at two large piles of documents, "I know Cabalina, Azul, and Oni were the ones to revisit the campsite again, so if they want to follow up that case then Presea and I are more than willing to let them. By the way, what did you guys find out from there?"

"Well, we did discover that there is one visitor to the campsite that was unaccounted for," Cabalina reported, nonchalantly flipping through the stack of papers from the scouts' camp, "The log recorded this Frank Warner character visiting the camp for a few days that week, including the day of the death. I'm not sure who he is, because he didn't really write down his business or association. But I think this may be a lead we should investigate."

Noishe nodded. At least Gil was correct when he insisted on investigating the campsite again. "So do we have a lead on this Frank Warner person? Has anyone in the camp made any references to him at all, or does no one recall such a character?"

Azul shook his head. "We did ask a few staff members at that camp if they saw anyone going by that name around the area, and most of them said they did. However, this individual tended to keep to himself and didn't really communicate or intermingle with everyone else, so the amount most staff knew about Frank Warner was minimal at best," Azul described, crossing his arms and glaring at the mountain of pages, "From what we gathered, the only person staff members saw Frank Warner talk to was the deceased, no one else."

Noishe and Gil glanced nervously at each other. While there was a lead, it was tenuous at best. Unless there was more information on an actual relationship between the deceased and this suspect, there was not much they could do. "You did gather some evidence, right?" Gil asked.

Cabalina nodded. "We have several important pieces that came from the deceased's office, which may lead to finding out something on this Frank Warner character," she explained, "I just gave it all to Cameryn for logging in, and we'll look at them another time. We haven't really gotten a chance to start on them since you called us back to look at the fish tank case."

"And we got fairly limited witnesses for that case as well," Gil added, "Presea and I did some interviewing, with me handling Sheena Fujibyashi, who found the deceased, and Raine Sage, who tried unsuccessfully to heal the deceased. I may call them in again tomorrow to get more details, but from what I know, neither was in that lab for a long time. At least, not long enough to do something to that fish tank without being noticed. The forensics report on the fish tank has been released already, is that correct, Presea?"

The pink-haired officer nodded. "The forensics report states that the wires were loosened and the plastic covering was cut off of them. This confirms the idea that someone did tamper with the fish tank. When the deceased reached in to jiggle them around, his hand came in contact with the metallic conducting part," she read aloud, flipping through a file belonging to the other pile of documents on the main table, "I also managed to speak with Professor Albane, who told me other than his family, who may access his keys when he brings them home, and Andy, who had an extra set of keys, no one has any other method of getting in."

"I would assume security may have access to the room, mainly for emergency purposes, yes?" Gil pointed out, flipping through a folder of his own, "Have we spoken with security members on duty last night? And what's the news on the Albane family right now?"

"Security told some of the other officers on scene that while they did have an extra key, none of them entered the lab. They reported that Andy was there even after Albane left already, so they didn't see a need to check further," Presea replied, her eyes calmly scanning the pages, "As for the Albane family, Professor Albane himself said he was home quite early, and was willing to bring his wife in here for an interview as his witness. Apparently they were having a dinner party, and the only one not there was their son, who came home after all the guests left."

But before Gil could inquire further, a young man burst into their conference room, all the while Cameryn tried to hold him back. "Are you guys the ones investigating my dad? And you wanted my mom to come down here as well?" he demanded. From Gil's angle, he could see the young man stood about five feet nine inches and had sandy brown hair with a red bandana tied around his forehead. He wore a white sports jacket and black track pants, but surprisingly only one glove on his right hand. "Well, who's in charge here?" he yelled again.

At this moment, Gil decided to take action. Waving a reassuring hand to the flustered Cameryn Lachance, who was quite embarrassed by her failure to stop the intruder from barging into the conference room, Gil met the newcomer at the doorway. "My name is Sergeant Gil Irving," he greeted the brunette with a smile, "I'm in charge of the case dealing with the fish tank in the lab. Why don't you give me your name and we'll see if we can help you?"

"You're the one who's holding up my father in here, right?" the young man accused, jabbing a gloved right finger into Gil's face while fishing into his pants pocket with his left. Gil's eyes keyed in on a cellphone being pulled out, flipped open, and a text message appearing on the screen. "He wrote me a text telling me that he's at the police station and that my mother has to be brought in. Why are you holding him? What are you accusing him of?"

"Oh, you must be Cress Albane, aren't you? You're the son of Professor Miguel Albane, right?" Gil exclaimed, reaching back to the table for another file, "Yes, we're just keeping your father here until your mother arrives. I assure you that both your parents, Miguel and Maria, are only here to help us with the investigation. At no time are we accusing them of anything, nor will we keep them longer than is required. Your mother is on her way here, correct?"

"This is wrong! You shouldn't be grabbing my parents like this! What justice is this?" Cress ranted, his finger continuing to peck on Gil's face, "You police officers are supposed to be upholding justice by punishing wrongdoers, not hardworking, loving parents like mine!"

Gil wiped his brow while glancing back at his team, all of whom had stunned looks on their faces. It was evident that Cress was a hot-blooded individual with a great sense of justice, but was also fiercely defensive of his family, willing to be very aggressive on anyone who made them suffer. Sensing things were not working well, Gil turned on his quirky side. "Well, of course we're striving for justice," he answered with a stretched grin, similar to the one he used on the creepy hotel manager in Altamira, "I mean, you're a taxpayer, so we don't want to waste your money. Why don't we take this conversation elsewhere and away from these sets of eyes?"

Gil led Cress away from the conference room, leaving Noishe to hesitantly give out the rest of the instructions. "So since Presea is following up on the fish tank case, why don't you wait until Mrs. Albane arrives and do the interrogation with her?" he suggested, "As for the scouts' camp case, we'll let Cameryn finish logging in all the evidence first, and then I want you to get started on combing through Walker's books tomorrow. Everybody got that?"

The meeting broke up with everyone taking the documents back outside, now having to re-sort them for further investigation. Azul and his trainee Oni went through the campsite case while Cabalina helped Presea with the fish tank case. "By the way, where do you live?" Azul asked the blond half-elf, "I mean, I don't believe you have a car, do you?"

Oni smiled. "I don't have a car, but I do drive," he responded, "I actually have a motorcycle license, and I drive a motorbike to work. You never noticed my motorcycle helmet under my desk?" Oni moved to his cubicle where he reached under his desk, yanking out a dark brown helmet that glistened in the light. "Although I'm not heading home yet, as I'll visit a fellow half-elf first. I'm starting my mana control lessons with Genis Sage today."

Azul nodded, recalling the interview he had with Genis at the campsite. Oni was there that night, and after speaking with Genis, the two half-elves exchanged phone numbers. Genis was more than willing to teach Oni some mana manipulation skills, and set up a time with Oni to proceed with the lessons. "I'm glad you guys are getting along then," Azul commented, watching Oni place the helmet back, "But still, you're not showing up wearing those clothes, right?"

Oni took a gander at his clothing. Per Gil's instructions, Oni ditched the uniform and wore clothes that he normally favoured. Today, he had on a black Loni-Kyle shirt that bared his midriffs, coupled with black cargo pants that tucked neatly into his motorcycle boots. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?" Oni asked curiously.

The entire unit snickered as Oni's eyes alternated confusedly between his clothing and his teammates. "Uh, Oni, why do you think Genis Sage is known as the 'belly button fanatic' to everyone around him?" Cabalina asked, "So what on earth do you think Genis will do if he sees you with that part of your body showing?"

Oni looked down, seeing that his deep concave navel was indeed front and centre. Tilting his eyes back and forth, he suddenly didn't feel so comfortable. "I hope he's not going to go too crazy with me, right?" Oni asked hesitantly, looking around helplessly for some reassurance.

* * *

><p>"Okay Cress, let's cut to the chase here," Gil stated, flipping through the notes from Professor Albane's testimony from earlier. They were in the same interrogation room Presea was when she interviewed Jacob Horace, the former supplier of the deceased in the campsite death. But this time, Gil only had the desk lamp on, making the room quite dark and cool. "You are aware of Andy Linton's existence, yes? You do know this individual?"<p>

"Of course I know him. He's been the one given my dad all that grief about how much work has to be done or whatever!" Cress exclaimed, waving his arms around. He then described the last year when Andy worked under Professor Albane. "I have no idea how any faculty could accept this type of graduate student, and he's brought my dad nothing but trouble. I got friends in Dad's archaeology class, and they have Andy as a TA. Can you imagine the complaints I hear from them? With the way they pour it on, my friends might as well be criticizing my dad!"

Gil nodded thoughtfully, scribbling down a few side notes. "So in other words, it's quite evident that you don't like Andy very much, correct?" he asked, "I assume you've met him informally, at least? I mean, you do have access to your father's lab, right?"

"You bet. I visit my dad's lab all the time when I don't have class, and I've seen that guy there," Cress responded, recalling details of his many encounters with the deceased, "Each time he saw me he acted like I was trespassing, and was always trying to get me to leave. Excuse me? Now I can't even visit my father in my free time? What law did I break by visiting that lab?" Cress concluded with a flash of anger in his eyes and a slam of his hand on the desk.

Like Presea did before, Gil adjusted the desk lamp a bit, making sure it wasn't damaged by the shot. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm Cress' nerves before continuing. "I know you don't have a good relationship with the deceased, given his unfriendly attitude towards you and the negative impression of your father he created on your friends," Gil stated carefully, "But I'm not going to make you a suspect just because of that, unless you did openly want to harm him..."

"Hold on, when did I say I wanted him dead?" Cress demanded, waving his sword-like finger in Gil's face again, "Why would I want to further ruin my family's reputation after what that moron did to my dad? I got better things to do than waste my time on that loser!"

Before Gil could respond, Presea gently opened the door and waved a file at him. "Are you still interviewing Cress Albane?" she asked, "If you are, then I think this file may be of use to you. It's some details on the Albane family that the professor offered this morning."

Gil reached for the file while nodding to the petite officer in gratitude. "By the way, you're not too busy, right? Can you stick around for a second? Mrs. Albane hasn't shown up yet, and I think the unit can handle whatever they're doing by themselves for a while."

Presea cocked an eyebrow. "Cabalina is helping me sort some files on the case," she replied. Was it right to just ditch her and stayed with Gil while he interviewed Cress?

Yet somehow, Presea was drawn to the table, quietly sitting next to Gil's right. Gil had that strange twinkle in his eye, meaning a weird idea was about to be executed in front of the junior Albane. Presea observed Gil nonchalantly flipping through his notes before turning his eyes back at the young man. "So tell me, Cress," he began, that distinctive mix of sarcasm and cynicism so evident in his tone, "judging from your hands, I'm guessing you're a fencer, right? Fencers only wear one glove, and that's the case right here." Gil waved at Cress' encased right hand, "So were you fencing or something like that last night?"

"Yeah, I'm part of the fencing team at school. And yes, I had practice last night. I stayed until close to eight p.m., before I picked up my girlfriend Mint and met up with my best friend Chester, who's on the archery team," Cress regurgitated each point to Gil, "I have an alibi and witnesses, so there's no way you can accuse me of killing the deceased."

Gil lifted his hands, as if in surrender. "Again, I never said you killed the deceased, or even touched that fish tank. But your father did say other than your family or the deceased, no one has access to the lab. Given the fish tank has a light that doesn't really work, and your father has yet to fix it, maybe he would ask you for help?" Gil suggested, flashing a tilted grin at Cress.

The fencer was not too pleased at Gil's remark. Cress' eyes narrowed to darts, shooting a death glare at the goateed man. "What relevance does that statement possibly have to me?"

"Well, think about this," Gil responded, his gestures getting more and more flamboyant. He leaned his elbow onto the desk, cupping his chin dramatically and matching his goofy grin with a thinking pose. "You claim you were fencing, and didn't go to the lab. But according to reports, Andy was at the lab until quite late. With security not checking the lab after your father left, who knew what happened then? And with that fish tank's light being the killing source..."

"Hold on! Are you implying I sneaked into the lab and tampered with the fish tank?" Cress howled, throwing up his hands in frustration, "You're police officers, and your job is to uphold justice, not make up fairy tales on the fly. If you keep making these preposterous claims against my family, I'll file a complaint against your unit for harassment!" Cress roared, ending with another slam of his fist onto the desk for emphasis.

Barely a second passed before a gentle click could be heard, the lamp suddenly shutting off and throwing the entire interrogation room into darkness. Presea was especially shocked by the act, given what she witnessed when she interrogated in this room before. "That lamp sure took a lot of abuse, and now it gave way, thanks to yet another suspect who doesn't care for our property," she commented, shooting Cress a look darker than the surroundings.

Now it was Cress' turn to be on the defensive. "Officers, I assure you, I didn't mean to damage your lamp. So I got emotional and was too carried away, but I didn't do it on purpose!" he pleaded, his eyes tilting back and forth between the pink-haired officer and the goateed staff sergeant, both of whom shooting back emotionless stares.

Gil purposely prolonged the silence by staring at Presea, casually shrugging at Cress' suggestion. "So even if you won't get charged for murder, we can still have you charged for damaging property," Gil retorted, "You realize your tax dollars pay for our equipment?"

After getting a gentle nudge from Gil, Presea added her two cents as well. "Two sets of eyes just saw you slam that hand on the desk, and within a second that light went out," she chimed in, "I already told you about my last suspect, who slammed his hand on the desk like you did. Since you're the straw that broke the camel's back, maybe we can demand compensation."

Cress' mouth nearly hit the ground in response. Gil and Presea kept gawking suspiciously at him, refusing to back down an inch. "Guys, I didn't know that the lamp took damage before, and I certainly didn't mean to break the lamp. I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, his bare left hand rustling his hair just above the bandana in frustration, "I'll do everything, including repairing the damage, but don't charge me or anything. I'm just a student, so I don't have a lot of money!"

Finally, Gil relented. Turning to Presea, he asked her to grab some new bulbs from the storage room. Cress wasn't sure what brand or details the new bulb would have, but could only wish that he had what it took to fix the lamp. "You know how to repair lamps, right Cress?" Gil asked as Presea stepped out of the room, "If you can repair this lamp, we won't charge you."

After what seemed like an eternity, Presea returned with an unopened cubical box. She handed it to Gil, who slipped his hand in nonchalantly and pulled out a new light bulb. "Take this and screw it into the lamp," Gil instructed, handing the new bulb to Cress.

The fencer gently held it like a baby, careful not to break his only chance to get out scot-free. Turning to the powerless lamp, he proceeded to the delicate task of repairing the bulb. "I have to first take out the old bulb..." he murmured to himself, taking deep breaths while placing the new bulb softly on the desk. Wiggling his fingers, he approached the broken lamp and reached for the old bulb. "Just unscrew it, it's that simple," he kept muttering.

Gil and Presea noted Cress' removal of the old bulb, gently placing it on the other side of the table, away from the lamp. Cress' hands did a small dance of their own, the fencer struggling to remember which bulb was which. Picking up the new bulb, he whispered a prayer into it. "Bulb, please work for me, or else I'm a dead man." With that, he pushed it into the lamp.

Surprisingly, the bulb tumbled back out. Cress creased his eyebrows, wondering what just happened. "I did do it right, I think," he mumbled, picking up the bulb again. This time, he pushed harder into the slot, even rotating it a couple of times. Yet no matter how hard he tried, the same result occurred. "This can't be, this is wrong," he stuttered, his tone getting more and more frantic, "Why doesn't this fit? What's going on here?"

From the other side of the table, Gil could only cock an eyebrow at Presea, who tried to hide a small smile of her own. As Cress continued fretting over the bulb, Gil gestured at Presea to look down. The Ozette native glanced at where Gil was pointing, and noticed that Gil's foot was on the power bar. The main electric switch was located just below the ball of Gil's right shoe, and it was in the off position the entire time.

* * *

><p>"Dad!" Lloyd called as Gil stepped into his living room. The spiky-haired teen had been watching the evening news while waiting for his father to come home. It was their usual routine, where Lloyd would wait for Gil before they made dinner by either getting started on schoolwork or watching the news. But today, the news was something Lloyd wanted to discuss with Gil.<p>

"Oh, I see you're aware of the police report then," Gil responded, gesturing at the television. On the screen was the press conference Captain Noishe held at the police station earlier today, asking the public for help on the scouts' camp death. "It went on the afternoon news and throughout the radio stations, so the evening news is only a re-broadcast."

Lloyd's eyes alternated back and forth between the kitchen and the television set, not sure what to think of this mysterious crime occurring right in front of him. "So you found out all that about the deceased?" he asked, "The deceased had an affair behind his wife's back, with the wife of his renovation supplier. The deceased's wife left him, the supplier cut the contract, and then he died after getting crushed by a sign. That's an unbelievable sequence!" Lloyd commented.

Gil shrugged, opening up and reaching into the refrigerator. "I have to agree. This type of thing seems more like it would come from a mystery novel rather than real life," he replied, grabbing some ingredients as Lloyd prepared the stove, "I find it odd that I would be the one saying it, since I wrote a mystery novel myself. But still, this is quite unusual, that's for sure."

Lloyd shook his head. "You're not the only one who commented on that," he replied, pulling out some pans, "I was at the website forum earlier, and I saw some people commenting on the death. I'm guessing they already saw it in the afternoon news or heard about it on the radio. Apparently, a few of them don't sympathize with the deceased, given his sleazy nature. Some even asked if this was an act of justice done on him, given the situation."

Gil paused. Placing down the uncooked food on the counter, he turned his dark brown eyes to his son, hearing Lloyd announce the findings on the website. "It was this person going by the name Death Angel who started the thread, claiming that as a staff sergeant in the police force, your job should be to pursue justice. But in cases like this, the poster wrote that someone in the public should step up to pursue justice on their own," Lloyd recalled with a slight shiver, the words clearly disturbing him, "I didn't really post anything to halt the talk, and later on it got worse and worse. Some people were even insisting that they should use the murder techniques in your novel to go after the unjust."

Gil cocked an eyebrow. "What is this, some avengers group? Since when did my mystery novel become inspiration for vigilantism?" Gil spat, clacking his tongue in disgust, "I have to admit that whoever this Death Angel person is, it's not a healthy act to post such hate on the forum, especially when he knows I'm employed by law enforcement."

"But still, don't you think it's odd that they're making comments that refer to your novel on the way these people died?" Lloyd pointed out, grabbing the container Gil pulled from the fridge. Taking off the lid, he tossed the chopped vegetables into the pan and allowed them to simmer. "I mean, it's almost like they want the death at that campsite to mimic the one in the novel. If I recall correctly, didn't the first death in the book involve someone getting crushed by a sign? What if this Death Angel person is hinting at something?"

"You think so too, huh?" Gil responded to Lloyd's suggestion, "I've been getting a nagging feeling about this too. A while back, I told Captain Noishe that I feel this killer must have a good enough knowledge of both the surroundings and the equipment at the campsite to make that clean of a kill. And now that you mentioned it, it does seem like something that came out of my novel. Whoever this scouts' camp killer is, they're way smarter than any I've faced."

Lloyd remained silent, glumly tossing the vegetables into the pan. "Still, we have no more evidence, so anything we say is merely speculation," Gil stated, starting up the stove to heat up another pan, "But whatever the case, something weird is going on here," Gil concluded with a fume. Father and son remained silent, leaving only the sound of sizzling vegetables in the pan. Despite the fresh food, neither Irving had too much appetite to eat right now.

* * *

><p>So that's it for now. I do have more twists coming up in later chapters, so hopefully you can come by and see them. As well, does anyone want to see any other Tales characters from Symphonia or other Tales games show up in this fic? I already have a couple of roles in mind, but I'll only proceed if you want me to include cameos. Tell me what you think in your reviews, thank you!<p> 


	4. A Mysterious, Omnipresent Person

I want to thank **Fenrir of the Shadows** and **AccessBlade **for reviewing the last chapter. Just want to point out a mistake from last time, I said Sheena imagined seeing her parents getting killed. This is actually wrong, as it is the parents of Orochi and Kuchinawa who were killed in the Volt incident. I made the revision already, which no longer states Sheena imagining her parents being killed in the Volt incident when she saw Andy touching the fish tank. Other than that, we're ready to move on.

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. **AccessBlade** owns Cameryn Lachance. **Fenrir of the Shadows** owns Azul Kharlan. **Legend of Zelda 4 Life** owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.

* * *

><p>"Can we go over all the facts once more, including the testimonies given by the Albane family?" Noishe asked during the team's morning briefing. A day after the second mysterious death felt like a year as the team gathered increasingly confusing evidence from the fish tank case, adding to the already large pile from the scouts' camp case. Seeing the dark bags under each team member's eyes, Noishe knew the ordeal wasn't about to end soon.<p>

"Well, according to the forensics team, the fish tank is indeed tampered with," Gil reported from the first seat to Noishe's left, flipping through two sets of notes at once, "And campus security said the lab was open until quite late, with Andy being the only one there then. Other than renovators cleaning up, there was no suspicious activity or individual around there."

Noishe nodded. "Seems pretty consistent with everything so far, but it's leading us into a dead end," he commented, pursing his lips and cupping his chin. Turning to the petite officer directly to his right, he asked Presea for her notes from interviewing the Albanes. "What did the professor's wife say? Did she confirm the dinner party, as Miguel Albane stated?"

"Well, Maria Albane did show up late yesterday, and she did confirm the dinner party. She even showed me a guest list," Presea described, waving a long sheet of paper around, "I'm going to say unless all these people lied, it'll be hard to make them suspects," Presea stated, placing the long sheet back into the brown folder, "I was also present when Gil interviewed Cress, the Albanes' son, and Gil felt Cress shouldn't be counted as a suspect either."

All eyes turned back to the goateed man, who had an awkward grin on his face. "It was a small experiment I did with young Cress back in that interrogation room. You know, the same one that Presea sent the former renovation supplier of John Walker into?" Gil pointed out, waving his hand at the direction of the halls, "Presea was telling me the desk lamp was nearly broken last time when the suspect kept slamming his hand on the desk. So, seeing Cress all worked up when he came into the unit, I thought I'd run a test by him."

The entire unit observed Gil pull out two light bulbs from a box near his feet. He handed them to Noishe and asked the former Protozoan if he could spot the difference. "These aren't the same size," Noishe stated even without a thorough inspection, "I say these two bulbs go into two different lamps, meaning they aren't compatible with each other."

"Exactly right," Gil responded, taking the bulbs back from Noishe, "I did an experiment with Cress where I purposely turned off the main power bar to the room, meaning there is no light shining from the lamp. I then claimed it was Cress who slammed his hand on the desk and damaged our lamp, and asked him to fix it in exchange for us not demanding compensation from him. And guess what I discovered?" Gil asked, beaming in pride.

The other officers glanced at each other in silence, not sure what their staff sergeant had in mind. Many knew from the first day that Gil Irving was a man of many surprises, and had an unpredictable, and some would even say crazy, streak. What strange idea did he have this time?

When no one responded, Gil pulled the two bulbs up before his face. "The one on my right should be the one that goes into the desk lamp, but instead, I asked Presea to fetch the one on my left," he explained, shaking each bulb a few times in emphasis, "We handed the wrong one to Cress, and he didn't even bother looking at the bulb before trying to shove it in. And when it didn't work, it never occurred to Cress that we handed him the wrong bulb."

Gil gently placed the bulbs back down before turning a page on his notes. "Yet anyone who has even a minimal knowledge of electronic appliances ought to have known the difference. Captain Noishe picked the bulbs up and immediately recognized the difference, so why didn't Cress notice that?" Gil asked, "In the fish tank case, our killer must have had at least a moderate level of understanding on electronic appliances to know what wires to cut to ensure the deceased got electrocuted. If Cress couldn't even do something as simple as identifying the differences between light bulbs, how likely would it be that he cut the wires?"

Noishe nodded. "So in other words, the entire Albane family could be taken off the suspect list, all by virtue of the dinner party and the experiment with Cress," Noishe stated, "I say that puts us in another dead end. Where will this lead us then?"

Before anyone could respond, Cameryn popped her head in. "I have two messages," she listed, holding a small piece of paper, "The first is the scouts' camp renovation supplier, Frank Warner, has arrived. Does anyone want to do the interview with him?" Cameryn asked.

Gil and Noishe both looked around the room. "Frank Warner is the mysterious visitor to the scouts' camp, right? Does someone in that case want to handle the interview?" Gil asked.

Cabalina raised her hand. "I'll handle that," she replied, "I know Azul and Oni will be busy going over evidence from the scouts' camp, since Cameryn logged them in. Did Warner bring in any new evidence, like his record logs or bills?" the brunette asked the secretary.

Cameryn shook her head. "Mr. Warner said he didn't feel the need to bring anything, and just wants to get the interview done as quickly as possible," the strawberry blonde stated, "I do think he's in a hurry, so I suggest we get moving on this."

Gil shook his head. Much as he didn't like witnesses that offered to give testimonies only to become impatient with police, he knew they had no choice but to entertain Warner. "Cabalina, head off with Warner then. Make sure you flush out all the details that may reconcile ambiguities in that case," he ordered, "The rest of us should get back to our cases. I plan to do a follow-up of the fish tank case, and that means revisiting some witnesses, including Sheena and Raine."

The team slowly got up from their chairs and filed out the door, leaving Cameryn at her desk signalling Noishe to come over. "The second message is for you, Captain," she stated, waving a second sheet of paper around, "This is regarding a drugs case you were dealing with at Major Crimes. There is a suspect arrested earlier, and he's been brought into that unit."

"Ah, yes," Noishe slipped past Gil and to the desk, taking the note from Cameryn, "We have a drug addict who we suspect is also the trafficker. I'll go over to Major Crimes to keep an eye on their interrogation. Gil, can you take over from here?" he asked the staff sergeant.

As Noishe hurried out, Gil went to Presea's cubicle to compare notes with her. That left Azul and Oni by themselves dealing with the scouts' camp case. "So Oni, how was your mana manipulation class with Genis yesterday?" Azul asked.

Oni smiled. "It was easy," he replied, nonchalantly flipping through another page as he glanced up at the elf, "I was only asked to do regular breathing exercises and feeling the mana go through my body, so there's no actual spell casting yet. Wonder when he'll teach harder moves?"

"Did Genis get all obsessive with a certain body part that you're showing right now?" Cameryn snickered from her desk, gesturing at Oni's midsection, "You didn't really wear your Loni-Kyle shirt to visit Genis, did you?"

"Actually, I did," Oni responded, puffing out his chest in mock pride, "I didn't find Genis to be the belly button fanatic that you claimed. Yesterday when he was teaching me, I thought he was a bit timid, almost like he was hesitant to critique me. Is he always such a quiet kid? I've only seen him once at the scouts' camp with Azul, but I thought he's more outgoing than that."

Azul paused. Since when did Genis become that withdrawn? Even when they saw him at the camp less than a week ago, Genis was bounding with excitement. Now he was so quiet that he didn't go crazy when seeing Oni's belly button? What happened to the silver-haired half-elf?

* * *

><p>"Mr. Frank Warner, is it?" Cabalina greeted the visitor in the halls, bringing the man into a nearby interrogation room. Before she closed the door, she could see Noishe hustling out of the unit and back to Major Crimes, which was conveniently located just down the hall from them.<p>

Turning back to the visitor in question, Cabalina closed the door behind her and sat across from Warner. Despite the dim lighting, she could make out the man had bright red hair in mullet style, was moderately built, and wore workman's clothing. "So before we get started, I want you to know that everything we're recording is only for confirming our findings at the scouts' camp. At no time are we laying any charges on you, so you can rest assured," she stated.

The man said nothing, only nodding slightly as Cabalina opened her notebook. "So tell me," she slowly began, "after the deceased, John Walker, lost his first renovation supplier, he supposedly turned to you to be his backup. How did this partnership come to fruition?"

"John Walker has renovation suppliers working in Iselia, and refers to them whenever he loses one contract," Warner replied curtly, "I have been called to help him before. I have receipts and other information at home to confirm this. Would you like them brought in?" he offered.

Cabalina lifted her left hand while her right held her pen, which continued scribbling on the page. "That won't be necessary right now," she responded, "I would like to know how did you get called to this scouts' camp project. Did Walker just call you up, asking you to get him all this material for him, and you were there in a jiffy?" Cabalina asked, looking the man in the eye.

The return stare from the redhead was ice-cold, with two emotionless eyes boring straight through the interviewing officer's soul. "I only show up with the materials once an agreement is made for payment," Warner responded monotonously, "I go give Mr. Walker the materials, and in turn he pays me. Any other work I do for him on that campsite would be considered billable."

Realizing there was a potential lead, Cabalina brought out a weapon of her own. Getting the visitor log from the camp, she flipped to the dates around when Walker died and showed them to the renovation supplier. "Looking at this log, we can see that you did visit the scouts' camp several times during the week before the deceased was killed," Cabalina pointed out, using her pen to guide Warner's eyes to his signatures on the page, "I assume you were working with Walker during this time, yes? Can you tell me what happened on those days?"

A low grunt could be heard emitting from under Warner's breath. Cabalina squinted slightly, trying to gauge Warner's reaction to her every word. "Mr. Walker asked me to supply the materials, but since he told me he was falling behind on some projects, he requested for my help," Warner calmly described, his face stoic and still like a statue, "I have the bills available to prove my work, which only involved helping him with the renovations. Anything that deals with his out-of-work life, I cannot and will not comment on," Warner concluded with pursed lips.

Cabalina scratched her chin, feeling the room suddenly getting a lot cooler. Warner crossed his arms, his neutral expression now dipping into a frown or fume. Trying to prolong the conversation, Cabalina resorted to a more provocative approach. Reaching to find her hot-headed, stubborn side which had been dormant for months now, she tried to entice the redhead into making a mistake. "The only visitor on the day Walker died was you, so that means you must have been aware of what's going on," Cabalina challenged her opponent, again pointing to the line in question with her pen, "The time you left was around half an hour before Walker's estimated time of death, so are you sure you didn't witness anything when you were there?"

Warner's eyes nearly flashed, either in anger or annoyance, sending shivers down the arms and spine of Cabalina. "I was there for a longer period of time, not leaving until rather later in the night, but I did not notice anything unusual," Warner responded, his tone impatient and gruff, "I was asked to finish some work on the back cabins, and was away from the campfire, where the death supposedly occurred. When I finished my work, I promptly cleaned up, signed out of the camp, and left for home. I have no idea what happened in the camp after that."

"But the camp only has one route leading back to the highway, and a witness heard the sound of a vehicle shortly before the sign fell," Cabalina continued, running on pure adrenaline as she pushed back against Warner, "I was at the camp to collect evidence, and it didn't take half an hour to drive from the highway to the parking lot. What could have possibly taken so long…"

"If you want to know what kept me there, you can blame my van's engine," Warner snapped, using his harshest tone yet, "I had problems getting my van started, and that kept me there for an extra ten to fifteen minutes. And in case you're wondering, I did visit a mechanic on Monday, and have a receipt to prove my presence at the shop as well. Any more questions for me, Officer?" Warner concluded, his grimace enough to freeze even the deserts near Triet.

Cabalina took a huge breath. Apparently, her plan to provoke Warner backfired, causing him to retaliate instead of cooperate. Still, it got her some evidence to show what Warner was doing at the camp, so maybe all was not lost. Moistening her lips, Cabalina approached the issue with gentleness once more. "Again, Mr. Warner, I'm not claiming you're a suspect. It's just that there are inconsistencies and telling us what you did at the camp can remedy that…"

"You're entitled to your opinion," Warner muttered back in an unfriendly tone, "If you still want my receipts from Walker's project and the car shop, I'll get them to you by tomorrow. If not, then let me out so I can go back to work. I have other renovation projects to do," he spat.

Now it was Cabalina's turn to purse her lips. Given how testy that interview got near the end, the brunette was surprised that she didn't go down in flames. Sensing the temperature was not rising despite the heaters, she decided to let Warner go. "The police will contact you again if we require another interview," she stated, getting out from her chair and reaching for the door, "I just want to confirm that your preferred contact method is via cellphone?"

Warner got up in almost slow motion, trudging his way to the door. "Only call me if you have anything of substance to discuss," Warner cautioned, glaring at the pony-tailed brunette once more, "I'm a busy man. I have no time to waste on trivial matters like these."

Cabalina shivered for the third time in that hour, not sure what she did to deserve this torturous interview. "Why don't I escort you back to the main hall?" Cabalina suggested, her stress released with every word. Basking in the lights of the main hallway, the officer made her way to the stairs leading to front doors. The sooner he got out of here, the better.

Before Cabalina could take an extra step, noises coming from the adjacent Major Crimes Unit caught her attention. Even members of her own unit, including Gil and Presea, stuck their heads into the hallway to observe the commotion. From her position, Cabalina could see several Major Crimes officers wrestling a suspect down right in the middle of the unit.

Several individuals in uniform yanked up the suspect, who was almost in convulsions. Cabalina could see the man had a buzzcut, with only short blond strands sticking from his near bald scalp. He wore a nearly torn blue Loni-Kyle shirt and equally ripped blue jeans, and could barely stand on his own. "Wh…why'd you dr…drag me in here?" he stuttered while shivering.

"Don't lie! We found packages of white powder on you in that alley! You dare tell me you weren't trafficking drugs?" an officer roared, struggling with his colleagues to haul the man back to his feet, "Don't tell me that was a pack of detergent!"

"It, it, it…" the suspect was sputtering by the second, and things were not looking well for the Major Crimes officers. Sensing things were quickly getting out of hand, Cabalina tried to go in to lend a hand. "Gi…gi…gi…gi….give me a chance!" the man continued.

"Cabalina, what are you doing here?" a familiar voice called. Cabalina lifted her head to see Captain Noishe standing by her with his hands on his hips. "Didn't you have someone to interview? How did that go?" he asked, his eyes alternating between the officer and the addict.

"Yeah, I just finished dealing with Frank Warner. He claimed to have evidence proving his innocence, so I had no choice but to let him go for now," she stated. Turning to the Major Crimes officers, who now wrestled the suspect back into a chair, she asked Noishe what was happening. "Is this the reason why you left our unit earlier?"

Noishe clacked his tongue. "Meet Kent Ruffin," the former Protozoan stated, flipping through another folder, "This is a Major Crimes case that involves drug trafficking, and we believe this is one of our traffickers. It's a shame too, because he used to be a member of a mixed martial arts club, and competed in several matches before. Then somehow he got involved in drug trafficking and became an addict himself. It's quite sad, really."

Before the officers could return to interrogating him, Ruffin convulsed again, this time more violently than ever. His entire body went limp, his limbs flailed helplessly. Falling out of the chair, the suspect flopped around on the ground, white foam shooting out his mouth. Officers looked around the room in confusion, not sure whether to help the now regurgitating suspect or run to get medical help. "Should we call the hospital, Captain?" a nearby officer asked Noishe.

Noishe nodded. "Let's get the paramedics here," the captain decided, "He is still a suspect, so we have to make sure the hospital keeps an eye on him." Turning back to Cabalina, Noishe asked, "So where's Frank Warner now? Is he still in the unit?"

Turning back to the hall, Cabalina edged past Gil and Presea, both of whom stood outside the Major Crimes Unit watching the odd scene. "Mr. Warner…" she called before trailing off. Gil and Presea both turned back to look, only to see the red-haired renovation supplier already lumbering down the stairs. "So, I guess an escort won't be necessary?" Cabalina eked out.

Gil and Presea said nothing, only watching the back of Warner slowly descend the stairs before disappearing from view. "Hey, doesn't that look really familiar?" Presea whispered to Gil, "Frank Warner, I mean. It's like I saw that guy somewhere before."

Before Gil could respond, the red-haired renovation supplier was replaced by a black-haired Mizuho native. "Gil, you wanted to see me today?" Sheena greeted the goateed staff sergeant as she trotted up the stairs, taking long strides up to the plainclothes unit.

Gil blinked and quickly shook his head, trying to refocus his mind on the case. "Yeah, thanks for coming, Sheena," Gil murmured, rifling through the notes in his hands, "I just thought I saw someone familiar, that's all. Don't mind what I did earlier."

"Oh, you mean that guy that just walked down the stairs?" Sheena asked, turning her head back to the other end of the hallway, "Yeah, I thought he looked familiar too. It's like I saw him somewhere before, although I can't quite put my finger in it. Where did last you see him?"

Gil and Presea froze. Now even Sheena claimed she might have seen Frank Warner before? Who was this man? What connection did he have to these two deaths?

* * *

><p>"Are you feeling better now, Sheena?" Gil asked, settling in an interrogation room adjacent to the one used by Cabalina earlier. Gil still remembered when he first approached Sheena at the university after the incident. Sheena was so shocked and frightened by the event that she could barely stand, let alone describe what happened in that lab. Now, after taking some time away from the lab, Gil hoped Sheena was in a better position to help out with the case.<p>

"A bit better, yes," Sheena stated. There was still some hesitance in her voice, but it was obvious that she was much calmer today. "I don't think I'll ever get that scene out of my mind, but at least I can somewhat move on and not be traumatized by it. Anyway, how can I help you?"

Gil shuffled his papers around a bit. "Starting off, you said you were in that room just before Andy died, hoping to speak with Professor Albane again. From the last time we spoke, you said you didn't touch the fish tank at all. But were you at least close enough to the fish tank to notice if anything was unusual about it?" Gil asked.

Sheena licked her lips once, trying to calm her nerves again. "I was in front of Andy's desk when he confronted me, so I didn't see the fish tank," she recalled the details, "I know the fish tank was flashing, but Professor Albane told me not to worry about it. I only got two chances to get in that room, so whatever happened in between my visits is a mystery to me."

"Well, let me just confirm for you right now that the fish tank has been tampered with, and we suspect it was done after everyone left," Gil stated, stopping his writing and looking Sheena straight in the eye, "Someone might have sneaked in while Andy was away from his desk and fiddled with the fish tank. Have you noticed anyone unusual around that area?" he asked.

"Wow, you're kind of asking me to recall faces that I saw for maybe less than a second," Sheena commented, clasping her hands on the desk and dipping her head slightly in thought, "I know there was some renovation work in that building, so there were renovators going back and forth, carrying equipment, and doing all sorts of stuff. I doubt anyone of them were here unauthorized, so I can't say anyone of them looked suspicious."

Gil nodded his head. "That's a fair statement," he responded nonchalantly, "After you spoke with Professor Albane the first time, you didn't go back to the lab for the rest of the day, is that correct? You left campus altogether, and didn't return until the next morning?"

"I was in the Albane lab hoping to find the professor before the conference started, but Andy stopped me. I don't recall seeing any renovators around the floor yet," Sheena described, "The conference was due to start at nine a.m., so I was at the lab just after eight thirty. Given Andy was already there, I would say he might have been there as early as eight a.m. I doubt the department office was even open, let alone having anyone there to witness anything suspicious."

Gil nodded. With another possibility gone, it seemed more and more likely that the only time when the killer could have tampered with the wires was at night, when everyone had gone home and Andy was alone in the lab. Despite limiting the timeline, it did not limit the list of suspects. There could be plenty of individuals who might have sneaked into the lab when Andy stepped out. "By the way, when you visited the lab, did you have to sign in?" Gil asked, "Does the department have something like a visitor's log for special guests?"

Sheena smiled and shook her head. "You only sign in if you're on official business, like a guest speaker giving a conference," she explained, "I didn't sign in, but special guests attending the conference may. Do you think the renovators at the department might have signed in?"

"Not sure, but assuming they will stay on campus and alter the department significantly, I would guess so," Gil responded. Placing down his pen, he folded his hands on top of his notes and stared seriously at Sheena. "I have one more question for you, one that doesn't really relate to this case." The ventilation fan clicked on just as Gil leaned his head forward, the dim lighting seemingly focusing onto his goateed face. "You said the man who just left the station when you arrived looked familiar to you. Can you think back to when you saw him last?" Gil asked.

Sheena pursed her lips and cupped her chin with her right hand, her left arm placed horizontally across her lap supporting her right elbow. Sheena tried to remember the important details to the hum of the ventilation system. "I think it was right around the time when I left the Albane lab for the first time," she stated carefully, "There was a lot of renovation, so Raine and Professor Albane both left artefacts in their labs rather than taking them to the archives. I recall having to be extra careful when I stepped into the hallway."

Gil looked on, listening carefully to Sheena's account of the events in the hall. "I left the room, and to my left was the renovation team. There were quite a few members busy at work, but I did recall seeing someone with long red hair, similar to the style that man had. It was really dusty and loud, so I didn't stay long enough to see his actual face," Sheena described, "But if we judge by the hair and body build alone, then it's likely that man was on the renovation team."

Gil said nothing. Returning to his notes, he scribbled down something unreadable by Sheena before ending the interview with her. "You've done lots to help us, Sheena," he thanked the Mizuho native, "I couldn't have asked for more. If we want your help again, we'll contact you. You'll be leaving on Friday, is that correct?"

Sheena nodded. With that, Gil packed away his notes and escorted Sheena to the main hall. Waving goodbye, Gil watched his friend descend the stairs and slowly disappear from view, the same way Frank Warner did less than an hour ago. Once he made sure Sheena was gone, he hurried back into his unit and approached Presea at her cubicle. "Presea, we have a new lead," he stated, showing her his notes, "Do you think you can contact the university to see if they have some sort of visitor's log? I think it's time we start searching for the name 'Frank Warner' in there. It seems like our renovation supplier may be doing more than expected."

* * *

><p>"Hey, I didn't know you were interested in spell casting!" Genis exclaimed as Azul trotted up to him on the field just behind Genis' school. It was late afternoon again, and Oni was to have another lesson in mana manipulation with Genis. The young half-elf had a rather free week, and could devote some time after school to teach Oni the basics.<p>

But today, Azul decided to come take a look as well, just to find out what was going on. "You're not the only teacher for Oni, Genis," the elf pointed out, taking a seat on a nearby bench located a short distance away from the two half-elves, "Besides, Oni and I were discussing some stuff earlier, and I just tagged along to watch him. By the way, when will your grandma arrive?"

Genis whipped out his cellphone and glanced at the time. "She'll be here just after five, so we have almost an hour and a half," the silver-haired boy stated, "I think that will give us enough time to help Oni here learn how to distinguish mana types within his body."

Azul nodded. Oni removed his brown leather jacket and placed it on the bench, leaving the blond half-elf in his black Loni-Kyle shirt. Before leaving the police station, Azul and Oni were sorting through the scouts' camp case. Just as they investigated Frank Warner appearing at the camp, Gil announced that he suspected Warner was somehow connected to the fish tank case as well. Sheena Fujibyashi, the witness for that case, thought she saw someone resembling Warner at the university the day the wires in the tank were cut. This new detail threw a new wrinkle in their plans, one that would either solve both crimes, or confound them even more.

While Oni and Genis continued warming up, Azul pulled out a small notebook from the inside pocket of his jacket and skimmed over the contents. Before approaching the fish tank case, Azul did some background research on how fish tanks work. According to Gil, the wires were tucked inside the top of the tank. The killer must have at least a moderate amount of knowledge to make that clean a cut, removed their hands from the wires unscathed, and still left them hanging low enough to electrocute a person. "In other words, the killer must have at least gotten the time to recognize the type of fish tank it was, and how the wirings work," Azul muttered.

Flipping a page, Azul compared this to the scouts' camp case, when he and Oni had a short discussion regarding how this mysterious killer might have carried out the act. There, they found that the killer might have cut the metal chains, either during campfire or after all the scouts left for their bunks. The killer also must have known that the floorboards were weak, and that the scouts might trip over them when they headed back. While there was no evidence that the boards were tampered with, that possibility could not be ruled out either. "The thorough planning by this person is unbelievable," Azul commented, "How can anyone observe such minute details?"

But at the same time, Frank Warner seemed to be a character that did not care for such details. When Cabalina interviewed him, she noticed he was quite gruff, and tended to give short and quick answers rather than discussed anything in length. He seemed almost impatient, and even claimed to have evidence to vindicate him of anything. Gil had not ordered Warner to turn over the evidence yet, but assuming the evidence was available, where would that lead the team then? Was there any other suspect at all?

Before Azul could think about this more, a loud explosion caught his attention. The elf was nearly blasted out of his seat as a huge cloud of smoke surrounded the area. "Oni, Genis, are you guys alright?" Azul called, coughing into his sleeve while waving at the dust.

"Yeah, we're fine," Oni's voice echoed from the debris, "I was trying to cast a spell, and this was the result." Azul could see Oni and Genis still coughing and waving at the smoke, but was relieved that both individuals seemed unhurt.

"So, uh, what happened?" Azul asked, pointing at the scene before him. Oni and Genis had part of their clothing covered with dust and dirt, and Azul found he was not immune from the dust storm either. "Was that supposed to be part of the spell?"

"Uh, I don't think so," Genis stated, trying to brush the soil from his hair, "I think you were trying to cast a fire spell, right? I mean, I'm sorry if I guessed wrong, but…"

Azul raised a hand to pause Genis. This was the very thing Oni told him about the mana training that surprised Azul. Why was Genis so timid about teaching Oni? "Genis, I don't mean to be rude here, but saying that isn't exactly going to fix the situation," Azul stated, "Why don't we ask Oni to go over what he did and we'll see where he went wrong?"

Genis shivered slightly. "You mean I have to pick out what Oni did wrong and tell him to do it right? Wouldn't that be kind of harsh? I don't know if I want to hurt him like that. What if he doesn't take it well and…" Genis trailed off, his volume and stature both decreasing by the second. Had it not been the silver mop on his head, Azul could have sworn that Genis' dark blue vest just gobbled up the boy's whole head.

Azul shook off the thought. He got off his seat approached Genis. "He's never going to learn if you don't tell him what to do to make it right," the elf countered, "I mean, if I used such a passive method on Oni in the police force, he would not be ready for a case. Part of training is to root out the mistakes and get the trainee into a habit of not committing them. If you don't tell him what's wrong and go over the right method with him, how will he get it right?"

Genis creased his brows and bit his lower lip, his eyes still pointed at the ground. He lost a friend all because he tried to offer criticism. Even though he was over the incident, Genis was unsure if this would lead to the same result. What if Oni also took it hard and got aggressive?

But Oni put Genis' mind at ease. "I'm used to being a trainee. I trained in the Luin Police Academy, I'm training under Azul right now, and I'm learning mana spells from you. I can't think of any teacher better than you guys," he declared, placing a hand on the pre-teen's shoulder, "I know people may ask why I chose such a young teacher. But if I got another chance to choose, I would pick you again. I trust you and I respect your abilities, so don't let me down."

Genis sighed, a slight smile returning to his face. He kept this incident to himself the entire time, not revealing too many details even to Raine and Lynn. But now, to see his friends Azul and Oni give him a vote of confidence, it brought back a lot of positive energy. "Thanks, you guys. I was just upset after the last time I tried to offer constructive criticism to a friend, and she wouldn't take it no matter what," Genis stated, "I tried reasoning with her, and even offered to help her, but she either ridiculed me or got aggressive with me. It ended with a yelling match where I told her she deserved to fail if she continued that way, and then we never spoke to each other again." Genis shoved his hands in his pants pockets and lifted his head. Facing the two officers, he posed the question to them. "Do you think I was kind of harsh by telling her that?"

Azul glanced at Oni before shrugging. "Maybe she didn't think a friend should say that to another friend. But since she took none of the many chances you gave her, shouldn't she at least reflect upon her actions as well?" he replied rhetorically, "You were sincere about helping her, but she didn't respond to you in good faith. I say that vindicates your actions already."

"And if she was truly your friend, then she'd take your advice without being insulted," Oni added, looking into Genis' eyes with a bright smile, "Friends don't let friends down, and will give each other tips to improve. If she truly did what you described, then she was never your friend to begin with. You did the right thing to call her out and now you have to move on. As your new friend, I pledge to never do that to you. It'll be too disrespectful of your skills and who you are as a person!" Oni declared, placing a fist over his heart like he was taking an oath.

Azul and Genis both chuckled. "Well, I guess we can start taking apart your mana spell then," Genis stated, removing his vest, "I can see, from the beginning of your casting sequence, that you put too much energy into each charge. That should only be done if you want to control more mana." Genis rubbed his fingerless-gloved hands together, getting into a crouch next to Oni while motioning the blond-haired half-elf to do the same. "There are two possibilities for why there may be too much energy. One is that you aren't separating the types of mana involved in each spell, and the other is that you're using more mana than required for the spell. I suggest…"

Azul smiled as Genis and Oni got back into training, but he was happier that his young friend now finally got back into a groove. Genis was still young, and had a long way to go before he could understand the more meticulous details of life. Learning to deal with difficult people would be an important skill for all situations. One should always keep an open mind and accept criticism, like the way Oni was doing right now. "Hopefully that open-mindedness can help us solve this crazy case," Azul murmured before turning back to his notes. While the two half-elves were having a blast, Azul could not say the same for himself as he laboured through the facts.

* * *

><p>"Looks like that crazy poster Death Angel is back again," Lloyd commented, scrolling through the forum on his website. Lloyd and Colette were at the former's house to study for a math exam. While Lloyd tried to search for background information on calculus derivatives and integrals, he couldn't help but sneak onto the website to check out the latest postings.<p>

"What did they say?" Colette asked, leaning her head over Lloyd's shoulder as her boyfriend clicked on the posting. They both heard from the news that there was another strange death occurring, this time at the University of Iselia involving a fish tank. Colette was especially shocked at this death, given it affected the lab right next door to her father's. But for Lloyd, he became concerned after seeing comments left on the website regarding the last strange death. So when the fish tank death was released in the news, they couldn't help but investigate.

"They're making outrageous remarks, as usual," Lloyd stated, reading the unusual fan's post, "They referred to the background of the deceased, such as the academic dishonesty issue. Read this and you'll lose your appetite," Lloyd pointed out, highlighting the line with his mouse.

Colette keyed in on the lines in question. "Another scum of the earth hits the dirt. First a cheating husband, now a cheating academic. At least they can't stay in our world to do more harm to people," Colette murmured, gasping at the end of each line, "That's a horrible thing to say. How can this person possibly believe killing them would be a good thing?"

Lloyd clacked his tongue. "I don't like it either, Colette," he responded, rubbing his cheeks with his fingerless-gloved palms, "Do you think I should exercise my authority as the site administrator and write something back to this person in return?"

"Did that crazy poster write something on the website again?" Gil's voice sounded off from the hall. Lloyd and Colette both turned to see the goateed staff sergeant standing outside his son's room, his eyebrows creased and his jaw tight. "I'm starting to think something is weird with this person. It seems like they know way too much about the details behind each death. What did the user post on the forum this time?" he asked, slowly edging into the room.

Lloyd rolled his chair out of the way and allowed Gil to take a look. Even without getting through the entire line, Gil was already shaking his head in disgust. "And this is the second death in Iselia that this Death Angel person commented on too," Gil spat, "What do you think, Lloyd?"

Lloyd pursed his lips. "Well, I do plan to write something back as the site admin, but I'm not sure if that will invoke a harsher response," the spiky-haired teen murmured, "I don't know about you, but I think this guy may be unstable mentally."

Gil shrugged. "Then all the more to ensure Death Angel doesn't cause more damage, physical or psychological, to the other fans of the book, right?" he responded, "Besides, most fans know my background as a former undercover cop and a current police staff sergeant. They ought to know better than to write death threats on the forum, which is an indictable offence."

Lloyd nodded his head. Turning around, he signed himself into the website under his alias. "Twin Swordsman," Colette commented, "Isn't that what your namesake was like? He was an ambidextrous swordsman who wielded one sword in each hand."

Lloyd smiled. "It's another way to honour my mom, given how she admires this person, and the way he handled the Reunification and subsequent events. He may not be a perfect man, but at least my namesake did put the world on the right path to fight racism." Clicking back to the forum, the brunette pushed the reply button on the webpage and opened a dialogue box. "So what should I say? Just tell Death Angel to cool off or something?" he asked.

Gil could not answer that question, interrupted by the shrill ring of his cellphone. Excusing himself, the policeman stepped out of the room, leaving the two teens on their own. Glancing at his girlfriend, Lloyd tried to come up with something. "How about we say, 'Law and order is key to a stable and just society, and there is no need to spew the word justice in every situation'?" he suggested, typing the words into the box, "It's almost appropriate too, since my namesake doesn't really like the word justice. But with the world in a mess, and everybody abusing that word just to prolong discrimination for personal gain, can one really blame him?"

Colette pulled her chair closer to Lloyd and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I think that continued to even after the world was unified," she recalled, "There was discrimination between Sylvarant, which was the weaker country, and Tethe'alla, which had support from the Church of Martel. It didn't help that your namesake was siding with the Church of Martel, which really polarized people's opinions of him. Maybe that's why Emil and Lloyd didn't get along at first?"

"But they ended up getting along just fine in the end, mainly because both sides tried to understand the other group," Lloyd replied, posting his message onto the forum, "I know if there is to be too justice, then it must be by everyone's consent. Justice is meant to be fair for all, and that's why the Vanguard had to be disbanded, and the Church of Martel had its influence on the world significantly diminished." Turning back to his girlfriend, he grabbed her hand gently and asked, "Do you think this Death Angel person is trying to act like the Vanguard here?"

Before Colette could answer, Gil stuck his head back in the room. "Lloyd, Colette, I can't be here for dinner. I just received a call from the station, and they told me a suspect from Major Crimes just sneaked out of the hospital. All officers are to be on high alert, and I'm going back to see if there's anything I can do to help." With that, he hustled down the stairs and slipped out.

Lloyd and Colette looked at each other, not sure what case Gil was up to. Gil might not be part of Major Crimes anymore, but whatever this suspect was, it must be serious if it got him that worked up. Lloyd scrolled through the screen one more time before turning the computer off. "You want to have dinner with my family?" Colette offered, "Unless you're okay with making dinner on your own, I'm sure my parents are willing to let you come over."

Lloyd shrugged. "I'm okay with eating leftovers here," he answered with a goofy grin, "Thanks for helping me review calculus, by the way. Would you like a lift home?"

Colette shook her head. "I'm okay with walking. It's not too far anyway," she replied, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. Lloyd got up as well, escorting Colette down the stairs and to the front door. "So let's hope we both do well on the math exam tomorrow, right?"

Lloyd unlocked the front door and turned back to Colette. Chocolate-brown eyes met ocean-blue ones in a warm interaction. "Let's both do well," Lloyd responded. With that, the two teens leaned in, their lips locking and holding for a kiss. Things might still be unpredictable with Gil's cases, but at least they knew they could always rely on each other.

* * *

><p>It was a mad dash from the hospital room to the martial arts studio that Kent Ruffin used to be a part of. The drug addict managed to undo the straps and slip past nurses, and then navigated hallways filled with police officers before exiting the hospital. He even avoided taking a bus or taxi just to get back to this area, as that would arouse suspicion from the public. Slipping into the alley between the studio and another building, Ruffin leaned his back against the wall and hyperventilated nonstop. The stay at the hospital was an awful experience, considering medical staff and police officers were all over him, watching him like he was some science experiment. "Why can't they just leave me alone?" he groaned.<p>

Looking around the alley, Ruffin kept getting the feeling that someone was following him. The former martial artist was unsure if it was police or some other individual, but it was not making him feel easy. He knew he was still a marked man, with the police most likely posting wanted notices on the news already. His arms still shivered from withdrawal symptoms of not getting his doses on time, and the brisk wind whistling through this narrow passage didn't make things better for him. Shadows from the edge of the alley danced in and out of the lights, almost like he was being taunted for his cowardly flight. What was going on today?

With a shaking hand, Ruffin reached into his pants pocket and felt for a set of keys. Even though he was officially tossed from the martial arts group a week ago, he did not return them to the owner. It happened when his fellow fighters found out about his addiction and involvement with drug trafficking. Ruffin himself was in that trade for a few months already, mainly during the time when he was not active in the ring. He suffered some injuries late last year, and had not really taken up an active rehabilitation routine for a while. While he recuperated, he ended up doing some favours for some friends, which led to this state.

Jingling the keys in his pocket, the former martial arts star hobbled to the back door of the studio, trying fruitlessly to insert the right one into the keyhole. Never did he imagine he would try out some of the substances he delivered for his friends, and ended up turning himself into an addict. All those nights spent in bars and tattoo parlours did not do his martial arts career any favours, and now he was reduced to being a rat-like fugitive, on the run from police and having to sneak back into his former studio to find his only stash of drugs left. "I should get some lighting out here first," he muttered, "It is way too dark to do anything."

It would be several minutes of fumbling with the lock and bumbling through the dark hallway of the empty studio before Ruffin reached the storage room. For some reason, he could only remember an old gas lamp being available. He could not recall where the owners placed the flashlights at all. Feeling his way around the narrow storage area, he bumped into several objects on the ground, giving his shins quite a bruising and nearly tripping him over. "Why did they leave such a mess in here?" he grumbled, his hands knocking over several objects on the shelves.

Nonetheless, he managed to get a hold of the old gas lamp. Grabbing it by the thin, rod-like handle, he carried the lamp back to the alley. By now, the winds already died down, leaving Ruffin feeling not as cold. The Loni-Kyle shirt he wore was a membership shirt that was sent to him via mail package when he wasn't present to pick it up. It was his only connection to the club after his dismissal from them. Placing the lamp in a safe corner, he hurried back into the studio to access his locker, where he still had a stash of drugs left.

Ruffin rubbed his arms the whole way as he stalked into the men's locker room, which was located at a different hallway than the storage area. When the team informed him of the decision to kick him out, Ruffin never cleaned out his locker and returned the keys. Rather, he still held on to them, knowing the locker was one of the safer spots where he could stash drugs for trafficking or personal use. Now, he could only hope that the studio owner didn't take the master key to his locker and turned its contents over to police. "Come on, please be in there," the former martial arts star murmured, feeling his way to where his locker was.

Finding the right spot, Ruffin slid the key into the locker and turned it a couple of times. He opened the metallic door to reveal several packets of white powder still present, causing him to breathe a huge sigh of relief. Even if he was not addicted, he was afraid what his friends would think if he lost the packages. Ruffin's own life would be at stake if he could not make the deliveries to those shady characters. Grabbing one packet, he shoved it in his pocket and closed up his locker once more. "It's not like I'm not trying to kick the habit," he stated to himself, "I just can't seem to find a way to do it without relapsing." Besides, what would other martial arts fighters in his club think if the former tough guy was found going into rehab?

Ruffin made sure to lock the back door as he left, trying to eliminate any evidence of him being there. Even though he still had to return the gas lamp, he didn't want anyone to go into the studio and find out he had gone through the storage room. Besides, once he had a dose of drugs in him, he would have enough concentration and energy to restore the room again.

Trotting back to his corner, he placed the packet on the ground and turned to the gas lamp. It was one of those models that still required pumping to light, and Ruffin was never fond of the fact that the dojo owner still kept this decrepit thing there. Sighing, he gripped the pump and pushed in and out several times, trying to get the light to go on.

But things suddenly went sour as a gaseous odour flooded Ruffin's nose. Before the drug addict could even react, flames blasted out from the lamp, engulfing his body entirely. Within seconds, Ruffin flailed helplessly around. The hot flames scorched through his skin and clothing, leaving him screaming for help. Soon, Ruffin's legs gave way, making him hit the ground like a sack of flour. Despite trying to weakly crawl out, the cries soon dissipated into the night. For the last time, the body hit the stone-cold floor, stone-cold dead.

* * *

><p>In another strange twist, yet another person died mysteriously. What does this mean for Gil's unit? Who is this Frank Warner character? And what does the strange poster on Lloyd's website have to do with these crimes? Read on next time to find out!<p> 


	5. First Glimpse of the Killer

The reviews came from **Fenrir of the Shadows**, **Wavebreeze**, **AccessBlade**, and **Phazon**. Looks like I've got everyone twisted around like a pretzel regarding who the killer is. Well, after reading this chapter, your opinion of the culprit might change once more. And yes, you can look for another Tales hero making a cameo appearance. That would be Reid Hershel from Tales of Eternia, and the role Reid will play is inspired by a piece of fanart on Deviantart by **Vesperia101**. Enjoy this chapter.

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. **AccessBlade** owns Cameryn Lachance. **Fenrir of the Shadows** owns Azul Kharlan. **Legend of Zelda 4 Life** owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.

* * *

><p>"Well, there's your missing person right here," Gil commented to the Major Crimes Unit officers, who gathered around the burnt remains of Kent Ruffin. Motorists driving past the road outside this alley reported seeing flames emitting from within. Fire crews were surprised to find it was a person that was on fire, but could not save him in time. Luckily, the identifications on the deceased were not too damaged, allowing police to identify him as their missing person.<p>

Gil slowly moved up to the area where the body lied. The coroner and his staff already took Ruffin away, but there was still significant residue of his belongings and other items there. To no one's surprise, there was a packet of white powder, most likely more hard drugs that the deceased was addicted to. One forensics member scooped up the powder into an evidence bag while another took pictures with a camera. Both had to fight off darkness and narrowness of this alley, which made them take their steps even more carefully as they moved into position.

Right beside the packet in question was another strange item, one that seemed quite out of place. It was the remains of what looked like a gas lamp, with the glass shattered and the metal rods somewhat melted, most likely from the burning. With most lights being electronic, having a gas lamp still around was rare. To have one out here when the deceased burned to death would make this a likely cause of death. Did a lamp malfunction burn Ruffin to death?

The forensics team was not oblivious to Gil's stare, also targeting the gas lamp along the way. "We'll have to run a few tests on the lamp, just to see what happened to it," the team leader informed Gil, sending another member into the fray to grab the remains, "I will get night shift on this as a priority item, and hopefully we'll get the results to you tomorrow."

Gil nodded and quietly thanked the forensics team lead. He slowly moved past the alley, looking through all the nooks and crannies of this dark, damp passage. He had no idea how the suspect escaped the hospital despite being placed in one of the more secure wings. Knowing that Ruffin used to be a mixed martial arts expert, it would put the hospital staff in more danger, even though Ruffin was still high on drugs. "Either he fought his way out, or he did something totally unthinkable, like yanking out the IV in his arm," Gil murmured to himself.

Turning to analyze the alley, he could only see one entrance from the other side. There was a wider section of the alley that snaked through to the street at the other end. Ruffin had to risk going through several streets and roads where people might have recognized him. "We had a news alert going around, and still no one saw him. Either nobody paid attention or the guy did a real good job navigating through these alleys, all the way from the hospital," Gil observed.

Just as Gil turned the corner, he saw two individuals speaking just outside a side door. He recognized the shorter individual, who was female and had pink hair. "Presea, what's going on here?" Gil asked, edging closer to the officer doing night shift for his unit this week.

Presea whipped around to see the goateed man standing right behind him. "Gil, this is the owner of the martial arts studio," she introduced the staff sergeant to a man with dark, slightly spiky hair wearing a black sports jacket, "His name is Marco Aylmer, and he is one of the last people from the martial arts club who had contact with the deceased before he was thrown out."

Gil and Aylmer shook hands. "So tell me, what went on with Kent Ruffin when he was still part of your club?" Gil asked, stuffing his hands into his pants pockets as a slight breeze hissed through the alley, "I heard he had a pretty good fighting career before things went south."

Aylmer nodded. "It was a shame, because Kent was one of our best fighters, having won tournaments for us for years. But then an injury kind of took him out, and things just spiralled downhill," the dojo owner explained, "Instead of actively rehabbing, I heard he started hanging out with drug addicts and other shady characters. I can't possibly have such unsavoury people going in and out of my studio, so I gave Kent a warning to stop or I'd throw him out."

Presea scribbled furiously on her notebook while Gil read the lines over her shoulder. "When did you become aware that he was addicted to hard drugs?" she asked, flipping a page.

"We've had our suspicions for months, but only recently did we confirm them," Aylmer replied, his eyebrows creasing at the thought of how his star fighter spiralled down, "Some other fighters were in the locker room when they saw Kent sneak in from the back. They smelled strange odours and saw packages being stuffed into the locker. That's when I did an inspection and found that he was using the locker as a place for storing drugs."

"Here's a question though," Gil chimed in, gesturing at the back door to his left, "This is the back door of the dojo, and we suspect the suspect somehow got in through here. If Kent Ruffin is no longer part of your team, how can he possibly get in?"

Aylmer bit his lower lip. "Even though I did kick Kent out of the club, he actually never returned his keys to me," he described, his eyes suddenly finding the cement floor fascinating, "I kind of lost all contact with him, and things were not going well in the club. We had to find a new fighter to lead our team, and Kent's issues just weren't a high priority for us anymore."

"Kind of dangerous, if you ask me," Presea commented, staring at the dojo owner with emotionless eyes, "He's an addict possibly trafficking drugs for dealers and other criminals, but you didn't pursue when he didn't return your key? Won't that be a huge security concern?" The cool breezes whistling through the alley only added to the tension among the threesome.

Aylmer would lick his lips a couple of times before answering. "What happened was very regrettable, and I take full responsibility for not realizing earlier," he solemnly stated, "But that being said, I think even the police know that Kent is a fugitive of sorts, and I believe you only got a hand on him earlier today. In that case, there isn't much I could have done."

Gil nodded. While he did find the owner's actions negligent, he also felt it wasn't the best place to judge him. "I'm mainly wondering how the deceased was able to unlock the back and get inside to his locker, where the drugs should be stowed," Gil pointed out, "May I go in?"

Aylmer reached into his pants pocket for a set of keys. But before he could shove the right one in, he noticed something unusual. "This lock looks different than before, almost like someone tried to force an incorrect key in," he observed.

Gil and Presea glanced at each other before lowering their heads to the same level as the lock. Indeed, there were a few scratch marks near the lock, which was slightly off the central position on the doorknob. "Are you sure it's not just because the door is an older one that tilted the lock due to years of use?" Presea asked, pointing at the area in question.

Aylmer shook his head. "This door was replaced just a year ago, and I recall being here sending out the new keys to our club members," he insisted, "Kent was among those who got a new key, so I doubt he was the one to do this. Do you think someone tried to break in?"

Gil and Presea paused, worried looks plastered on their faces. With that possibility still around, there was no way Gil could look inside the dojo until the door was checked out. "Stay here with Mr. Aylmer," Gil instructed Presea, "I'll go get the forensics team over here." The goateed staff sergeant trotted back into the alley just as a cold chill descended upon the block.

* * *

><p>By next morning, forensics had a chance to run tests on all the important pieces of evidence collected from the night before. That included the side door that the dojo owner Aylmer claimed had been tampered with, which confirmed the dojo owner's suspicions. "That doesn't really rule out anything yet," Presea stated, recalling the details from her notebook, "Both the owner and the deceased had keys to the back door, meaning it's likely they wouldn't have to pick the lock. But anyone may do that just to throw us off, so we better investigate everything first."<p>

The two investigators pulled open the door and slowly stepped in, greeted by sounds of fists and feet hitting pads and bags. The twosome saw the dojo owner at a far ring, observing a young fighter doing his morning practice. Judging from appearance, the combatant was about nineteen years old. He stood about six feet, which was a bit tall for a mixed martial artist, and had a mop of red hair. Shaking his head a couple of times, Gil turned away from the high-flying punches and kicks landing on pads being held by an assistant. "Mr. Aylmer, Presea and I would like to discuss some things with you," Gil greeted the owner.

Aylmer slowly turned around, his eyes reluctant to leave the fighter in the ring. Upon a closer look, Gil could see the fighter did not have a shirt on, wearing only a pair of blue shorts with a white line between the legs. His hands and feet were taped, the white wrappings going around the palms but leaving the fingers bare. "Is he your new star fighter?" Gil asked.

Aylmer nodded. "All fighters here train hard, including Kent before he turned to a life of drugs," he explained, his eyes still tilting back and forth between the ring and the sergeant, "Anyway, what can I help you officers with?" he asked, finally turning to face Gil and Presea.

Presea quickly updated the dojo owner on the forensics findings, confirming that Kent Ruffin did return to the dojo for the drugs. "He most likely came in through the back door, went through his locker for the drugs, and took out a gas lamp from the storage room," Presea described, "As for whether or not he tampered with that lock, that's a mystery. The only thing I can say is that our suspicions last night are correct, and that lock has been picked."

"Wait a minute. Are you saying someone tried to break in here?" Aylmer replied, his eyes widening and his cheeks tensing up, "When did they do that? Did they get here before or after Kent burned to death? What's going on?"

"We haven't confirmed anything, so let's not jump to conclusions," Gil responded, trying to calm Aylmer down, "We only know a gas lamp was present with the deceased, so most likely he tried to use it when the incident occurred. Has that lamp malfunctioned before?" he asked.

Aylmer shook his head. "It was left from the past when we first purchased this place a few years ago, and we rarely use it. We just leave it in the back storage room, along with other items that we seldom use," the owner pointed out, crossing his arms and closing his eyes to recall the details, "Because of that, I can't say for sure if it's still good. Do you believe that thing has been tampered with as well, given the situation?" he queried in a whisper.

Presea pursed her lips. "It's possible, but we're not commenting on that until we know for sure," she replied monotonously, "On another note, do you have any security cameras around the dojo operating through the night last night?"

Aylmer nodded, leading Gil and Presea away from the fighting rings and into a small office. He pulled out an assortment of old tapes stacked almost in a random pile. "We have one security camera, installed just a few weeks ago. This was after we found out that Kent became an addict, and was trafficking drugs," Aylmer described, "We were afraid that he might use the dojo as a place do his drug exchanges, so that's why we decided as a group to place a camera in here."

Gil and Presea looked on as the dojo owner sorted through the tapes, looking for the one from last night. With management having trouble dealing with even a single camera, they were surprised that this place was not used as a trafficker's hideout sooner. With such lax security, anyone could slip into the alleys behind the building and did the drug exchanges without anyone noticing. Had Ruffin not been killed, he could probably escape unnoticed.

"I got it. It's this one," Aylmer informed Gil and Presea, waving a tape around. Gil and Presea waited for Aylmer to operate the player, wondering if there were tapes of the outside area available, especially around the two entrances of the alley. With only the body, the drugs, and the broken gas lamp, there was not enough evidence for them to piece together a complete story. It might have been a complete accident, but the possibility that the lamp was tampered with could not be ruled out. Was there another security camera, one aimed at the exterior of the dojo that might have caught on to what happened last night?

Finally, the dojo owner got the video player to work, showing the shots from last night. "What's the time of death for Ruffin?" Gil asked the pink-haired officer, leaning forward to get a better view, "Maybe we can forward the video to a few minutes before that time?"

Presea flipped through her set of notes, showing Aylmer the estimated time of death from the coroner's report. "Let's forward it to about fifteen minutes before that and we'll see what went on from there," she suggested, gesturing at the screen.

Aylmer nodded, pressing the fast forward button. Gil and Presea kept their eyes on the clock on the monitor, watching the barely coloured picture whiz by. It was the main interior of the dojo, with a fighting ring in the middle and an open area in the front. In the back were several photographs, most of which were noticed by Gil and Presea earlier. Many of them were of the martial arts team at their most recent tournaments, although whether the deceased was in any of the photos was unknown. Nonetheless, Gil and Presea chose to focus on the task at hand, which was to identify any suspicious activity during the time of death.

"Hold it right there," Presea called, causing Aylmer to slow the tape back to normal speed, "Did you see that shadow? This person went in from the upper left hand corner of the screen and disappeared through another hall. What area would they have gone into?"

Aylmer stopped the tape and squinted into the monitor. "That should be the locker rooms, I think," he stated, trying to imagine the layout of his dojo on the tape, "So if we assume that was Kent, then it's possible there are still drugs in his locker, and he came back to retrieve them."

Gil and Presea nodded. Making a note to see the locker later on, they requested Aylmer to continue rolling the tape. Nothing special happened for the next fifteen minutes or so, which they probably guessed was when the deceased was burned to death outside in the alley. Just when they were about to ask the tape be forwarded again, something caught their eyes. "Wait," Gil ordered, pointing at the screen, "Who is this person entering the dojo right now?"

Aylmer stopped the tape again, this time squinting along with Gil and Presea at a figure wearing a hoodie. The individual was completely focused on the back photos and nothing else, making everyone very suspicious. Why would someone break into a dojo in the middle of the night to not look for valuables, but a bunch of old pictures instead? "Can you zoom in at all, or does that function not exist in your player?" Presea asked.

Aylmer shook his head. "We didn't expect the camera to be anything more than a basic security feature, so we didn't install anything fancy. But I can adjust the brightness and contrast just to see if we can get more details," he described. He flipped open a front panel and turned some knobs on the television while the tape played again, this time in slow motion.

Gil and Presea paid close attention to the screen. The figure pointed a small flashlight at each photos, staring at the first few nonchalantly before moving down the aisle. The contrast in the frame also increased, making it easier for the police officers to identify some features. The figure was tall, of a moderate built, and wore cargo pants along with the hoodie. As that person moved down the aisle, Gil could see some strands of red hair sticking out from the front. "Is he part of the martial arts team?" Gil questioned openly, "How many redheads are on the team?"

Before that could be answered, the redhead in the video did something peculiar. Standing before the final picture in the aisle, that mysterious person shone the flashlight on it. The small bright circle swirled around the photo several times while the person's head shifted back and forth, almost like they were looking for something. "What's that photo?" Presea asked.

Aylmer leaned his head in again. "This seems to be our latest photo, taken not too long ago. It was when we gave out those Loni-Kyle shirts for our team members. I believe Kent got one too, even though we had to mail it to him, since we already removed him from our team," the dojo owner recalled, "In fact, I don't think Kent was in that picture at all."

Gil and Presea glanced at each other. Surely a member of the team would not be looking at the photo if they had been in it not long ago, right? Yet there might still be team members who resented the deceased after what he had done to the team. It was possible that one of them might take action against Ruffin, despite the deceased getting kicked off the team. "Was he wearing that shirt yesterday when he was arrested by Noishe?" Gil asked.

Presea shrugged. "I think so, but I'm not sure," she responded, "That being said, how many red-haired people are currently on your team? Can you provide me with a list of people?"

Aylmer smiled. "There's only one redhead on the team, and he's the same person you saw me with earlier." The man stepped out of the office and approached the ring again. "Hey Reid!" he called, "There are these officers who want to talk to you. Can you come over?"

Gil and Presea craned their necks back, watching the redhead step out of the ring and towards them. There was some inaudible talk, with the fighter asking where they would head for lunch, while Aylmer retorted that the redhead was only focused on food. "If you keep staying lazy and only care for eating, then you won't be a middleweight anymore," he scolded, "Maybe we should put you in the heavy and out-of-shape category instead!" Aylmer brought the young man in question to Gil and Presea and made his introduction. "The man is Sergeant Irving and the woman is Officer Combatir," he stated.

The redhead nodded at them. Gil and Presea could see that his arms and torso were lined with lean muscle. Linings of a six-pack could also be seen from his abs, giving him a distinctive athletic built. Could this be the man they saw in the tape, wearing that hoodie and stalking in through the back? "Reid Hershel, at your service," the young man responded, flashing a toothy grin, "What do you want me to help you with?"

* * *

><p>"Cameryn, has there been news from Mr. Frank Warner yet? Will he still hand in some of the documents relating to each crime scene?" Noishe asked the strawberry blond secretary who just entered his office. With Gil and Presea investigating yet another strange death, there wasn't much the team could do except going over old evidence once more. They were running out of options for the scouts' camp case, and things weren't exactly rosy for the fish tank case either.<p>

"No, Captain," Cameryn responded, taking a seat in front of Noishe's desk, "I called him twice already, and he didn't answer at all." There were still considerable ambiguities from the fish tank case, especially regarding witnesses. While there were fewer potential witnesses at the scouts' camp, surely a university bustling with professors, students, and a renovation crew would bring some information of use to the team. So why were there still so many inconsistencies?

Captain Noishe bit his lower lip, realizing they were at a dead end. "Gil did an interview with Sheena Fujibyashi, who called in to report the electrocution. She originally pointed to Frank Warner possibly being at the university with the renovation crew. But Sheena's interview was done after Cabalina interrogated Warner, meaning we can't get confirmation or refutation of this from him." Noishe flipped through the files with great interest, all of which were typed up by Cameryn for the team. At such a crucial stage in the case, what were they possibly missing?

Cameryn cupped her chin as Noishe glanced up again. "If Warner continues to ignore calls, then we may be looking at another dead end," he pointed out, "I don't want to send out wanted bulletins or arrest warrants on a guy that we have no clue about, so we have to find another way to get through this. Do you have any ideas?" he asked.

Cameryn shifted slightly in her seat. Presea mentioned an idea to her when Cabalina, Oni, and Azul were at the scouts' camp. Presea read Gil's novel and commented on the deceased being crushed by the sign at the camp, claiming it was eerily similar to the one in the book. Before Presea left the unit this morning to investigate the most recent death, she told Cameryn how the second death with the fish tank was also similar to the second death in the book. Did they have anything to do with each other? Was the killer in real life imitating the book's killer?

Turning back to Noishe, Cameryn decided to explain her idea to him, starting with how the first death mirrored the scouts' camp death. "And if you look at the second death, you may think it came from the book as well. The killer in the book had the second death occur in an old generator room, targeting someone who worked in the electrical department. The killer loosened the wires so that the appliances they connected to malfunctioned," Cameryn recalled, imagining each detail Presea read in the novel, "To make sure the target was killed, the killer poured water in the surrounding area to ensure a conducting element was present. To no one's surprise, the target came to fix the wire, touched the loose ends, and was electrocuted."

Noishe nodded gravely. This would be the second crime in a row in which the killer copied Gil's idea. With the way things were going, Noishe was starting to believe that perhaps these crimes were all linked in some way. "You think the killer in real life is a fan of Gil's novel, and knows it well enough to use its content to carry out these acts?" he asked.

Cameryn shrugged. "It's possible, but nothing is for certain unless we have evidence to show that," she replied, leaning back against her chair, "We know Frank Warner was at one, maybe two crime scenes. He claims to have evidence proving his innocence, but has yet to send anything in. But if we can't confirm Sheena's words and truly point to his presence at the university, then I think it's best we keep these crimes as separate."

Noishe wiped his chin thoughtfully, flipping through some pages of the summary reports from the two crimes. Was there anyone else they could rely on to point out what happened at the university? "Other than Sheena and the Albanes, there should be more people near the lab, right?" he stated, "What about the adjacent lab belong to Dr. Brunel and his team? Do you think it's possible we can cross-reference with them?"

Cameryn rubbed her face. While Gil had spoken with Raine Sage during his visit to the university, no actual interview was done. Now, the death of the Major Crimes suspect took Gil's attention away from that case. "We can send someone to the Sages later today. I know Azul knows them well, and Oni is practicing mana casting with Genis. Perhaps one of them would be the ideal choice to speak with Raine?" Cameryn suggested, "It's that, or have someone go to the university to get their visitor's log. I doubt the sergeant and Presea have time to do that now."

Noishe nodded. "Right now, the Sages are probably our best option," he decided, closing the file and rubbing his hands together, "I do, however, like to know if there are any fan clubs dedicated to Gil's novel. If we can get in contact with some fans, then maybe we can find out what's really going on. If the killer enjoys Gil's novel so much that they want to imitate the novel's killer in real life, then maybe a search through the fan base might be useful to us."

Cameryn winced as she slowly got up. "You'll have to ask the sergeant about that one. I'm not really sure about that," she replied, "But if you want me to tell Azul and Oni to drop by the Sage household when they get off work, then I can do that for you."

Noishe nodded in agreement. With a wave of the hand, the former Protozoan dismissed the secretary from his office, leaving him alone to deal with the files. "Gil Irving fan club," he muttered as he turned to the computer, "I wonder if I can find anything of interest over there." With that, he typed in some terms into the search engine and clicked enter.

* * *

><p>"So Reid, tell me a bit about your history with the dojo," Gil asked as he and Presea strolled around the interior of the martial arts studio with the red-haired fighter. After the dojo owner offered to turn his surveillance tapes into police, Gil and Presea thought it was best to get a feel around the dojo. They wanted to know why the suspect in the video was attracted to the photograph in question, and asked Reid to give a quick tour while the owner went to the police station with the tapes. Now the threesome wandered along the rings where assistants prepared equipment for some other fighters that would arrive for training later.<p>

"I didn't really want to be involved. It was my girlfriend's idea," Reid explained, hanging his towel around his bare shoulders, "Farah wanted me to be active rather than lay around only thinking about food. A couple of years ago, during my senior year in high school, she found out about mixed martial arts and signed us both up. At first I didn't really care for it, but then I got a few practices in. I made progress on my skills, and now I enjoy it," he concluded with a shrug.

Gil nodded, glancing sideways at Presea, who scanned the photos along the back wall. Both investigators had a nagging feeling that Reid could not be ruled out as a suspect yet. Out of all the fighters, he was the only one with red hair, and could access the dojo because he had the keys. While it would be odd for Reid to break in here just to admire photos he saw frequently, it was still possible that Reid fiddled with the gas lamp that led to Ruffin being burned to death.

"So Reid, how well do you know the deceased?" Presea queried, marching back to the two males, "You've trained here for the last two years, so you two crossed paths before, right?"

Reid chuckled. "Yeah, I know the guy. A couple of years ago, when I first joined, he was the big man here," he recalled, his eyes tilting dreamily towards the photos again, "He trained a lot of the new fighters here, including me. He taught me all the basics, and really got me going on competitions. I think I mastered more in my first year than anyone else, and all the coaches were really ecstatic that there might be two good fighters representing the men's team. But then Kent got injured, and that event happened," Reid concluded, his tone and eyes downcast.

Gil and Presea edged their heads closer to Reid, trying to gauge his expression. Was there a possible motive for Reid to kill Ruffin? How did Reid really feel seeing his own mentor take such a huge fall from grace? "What happened next?" Gil continued questioning.

Reid shrugged again. "Well, it was kind of depressing, and I was kind of angry at him," he responded, shifting his weight back and forth between each bandaged foot, "I didn't want to believe Kent went from all-star to drug addict in less than a year. But they suspected Kent had been involved with drugs and gangs, so much so that he gave up on rehabbing from his injury. There's no way my mentor should be like that, and from that day onward he was dead to me."

Gil and Presea both reacted with a cocked eyebrow. What if Reid wanted to make that wish into a reality, and really make Ruffin dead? "Just out of curiosity, have you ever been in the back storage room before?" Presea probed, "There has to be a place where you put your training gear. Have you stored any equipment in there? Do you know what is usually stored inside?"

Reid managed another toothy grin. "Most of our equipment underwent an overhaul the last few months, so unless it's something really old, it wouldn't be put back there," Reid replied, "I swear, this building is so old, I'm not surprised if they got some ancient artefacts stowed in that room. Seriously, who keeps a gas lamp around anymore?"

Gil and Presea glanced at each other again. The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. Reid was upset enough that he treated Ruffin like he was dead, and was aware of the gas lamp's presence in the back storage room. So did he to sneak into the dojo, tampered with the lamp, and allowed the deceased to use it? And what about the lock to the back door being picked, given Reid had a key to the dojo? "Unless he wanted to use it as a way to take the spotlight off of himself," Gil whispered into Presea's ear amidst the sounds of more equipment being taken out.

Taking a glance at the clock, Gil and Presea realized that Aylmer would not return from the police station for at least half an hour. With the extra time to spare, Gil decided to unleash his crazy detective mode on the red-haired martial artist. "Tell me, Reid. If I'm not mistaken, the deceased still has a locker here," he stated, gesturing grandly while keeping a goofy grin on his face, "Do you think there might still be, you know, a stash of stuff inside? Why don't we go into the locker room and find out for sure?" Gil suggested, placing an arm around Reid's shoulder.

Reid had an almost dazed look on his face. Surely the staff sergeant wasn't serious, right? "I don't know. Those lockers belong to other people, and I don't think we should worry about going through them. Besides, if Farah finds out I invaded people's privacy, she'll probably go ballistic. And I'm not sure if we should, you know, let her into the male locker room," Reid pointed out, his tone soft and his head tilted towards Presea in worry.

Gil glanced at Presea, signalling to the pink-haired officer with his eyebrows and jaw. "I think she's too obsessed by the champion fighters to want to go in," Gil responded, "Maybe she'll be a big fan of yours if you make it big one day, and wants one of those photos on the wall as a souvenir. Now shall we move on to the locker room?" Gil requested, pulling Reid away.

Reid stuttered in both speech and steps, so much so that Gil had to link his arm through Reid's elbow. "You still haven't changed back into your regular clothes. Don't tell me you're leaving this place without a shirt on, or else a lot of fangirls will come after you," Gil warned, pointing at Reid's shirtless body. With only blue shorts on, Reid's developing pectoral muscles and six-pack abs were bound to get the fighter attention he didn't want. "Try explaining to your girlfriend why you have all these young women jumping all over you," Gil snickered.

"But still, I don't have the key to Kent's locker," Reid protested as Gil hauled him into the back with great difficulty, "How am I supposed to open it for you when Marco's at the station right now? If you do find drugs in Kent's locker, and end up taking it in for evidence, it's Marco that you should inform. Why not wait until he comes back?" Reid pointed out.

Gil chuckled. "I'm sure you have some other method of opening it," he suggested, his tone a mix between patronizing and teasing, "But first things first. Which one of these lockers belonged to your old pal Kent?" he waved at the series of grey boxes with his free arm.

Reid wriggled his nose, the strange mix of sweat-stained clothes and deodorant shooting into his nostrils. Some chemical odours could clearly be detected from the cracks of a locker in the middle of the row furthest in the back. Approaching the locker, Reid's eyes narrowed to darts. "What do you want me to do with this?" Reid demanded.

Gil's sly grin now turned into a smirk. "Try picking the lock," he proposed, "If you can pick the lock, then it'll save me more time to deal with going through your owner."

Reid's expression went from shocked, to suspicious, and now to exasperation. "I've never picked a lock in my entire life!" he roared, waving his arms in the air. The towel that hung from his shoulders now fell into a heap behind him, leaving Reid's torso naked to Gil's quirky look. "Can we just not do this? I'm sure someone else is better at opening it anyway."

"It's just a regular lock, not a combination one. If you make something that resembles a key, then maybe it'll work," Gil pointed out, gesturing at the lock again, "Besides, with a death in the back alley, this whole building could be a crime scene. If I call in the lock-breaking team in the police force, there will be even more property damage. You don't want that, do you?"

Despite the prospects of dealing with more damage, possibly including his own stuff, Reid was still uncertain. Seeing a creased face and furrowed brows, Gil decided to pull out all the stops. "If you can pick that lock before the owner comes back, I'll take you out to lunch," he offered, catering to Reid's insatiable appetite, "There's an all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant not too far from the police station. I'll take you there if you can do me this favour."

Reid's eyes lit up at that prospect. "You got a deal!" he exclaimed, shooting out of the locker room, "Now just let me see if there's anything that I can use to pick the lock. I've never done this before, so I'll have to…" Reid's voice trailed off as he went back to the sparring rings.

Gil's eyes tilted back to observe Reid, who now scoured the area for anything that might help his cause. Smirking once more, Gil whipped out his cellphone and dialled for the unit. He tried to stay out of the sights of the dojo assistants while waiting patiently for the call to connect. "Hi, Cameryn?" he greeted the bespectacled secretary, "Can you get Azul on the line for me?"

While Cameryn transferred the call, Gil kept his eyes on Reid. The shirtless fighter was full of energy, but Gil could also observe that he was quite clueless. Reid was just bounding up, down, and all around the dojo, not even quite sure what he was looking for. At times Reid had his hands on his hips, doing a full scan on the area. At other times Reid was scratching his head, a stumped expression on his face. Did he even know what picking locks involved?

"Hello, Sergeant Irving? Are you looking for me?" Azul's crisp and clear voice could be heard from the other line. Azul was an expert at picking locks, having done so once in their first case. Robert Ross was trapped inside a building while pursuing a suspect back then, and Gil recalled Azul picking the lock to the front gate. "What can I help you with?" the elf asked.

"Hi Azul, I just have something about picking locks that I would like to ask you about," Gil informed the Heimdall native, "If I give you a description or show you a short video of what a person did to pick a lock, do you think you can tell if that person is an expert or not?"

* * *

><p>"Absolutely not, Sergeant," Azul spoke into his cellphone as he and Oni stepped up to the front door of the Sage household, "Based on your words and the videos you sent, there's no way Reid Hershel is an expert in picking locks, by any means." Despite after their shift, Gil chose not to go home yet, opting to stay at the station to finish some analysis. That left Azul and Oni going to the Sage household to speak with Raine, as decided upon by Noishe earlier.<p>

"He shouldn't bend the paper clip like that," Azul recalled from the short video Gil took from his cellphone, which Gil then sent to Azul's computer, "If he twisted it too hard into the lock, it'll be damaged entirely. The lock on the back door was tilted but not damaged, so an amateur like Reid couldn't have done it." The elf commented on a few more methods while Oni rang the doorbell. "The best item is usually a thin metallic rod, which can move the lock but still let it keep its integrity. If Reid didn't pick anything like that, then it's unlikely that he did it."

Clicks from the front door prompted Azul to cut the call short. "Hello, Azul. And is this Oni, the new officer that Genis told me about?" Lynn Sage asked, gesturing at the blond half-elf.

"Yes, I'm Oni Sheikah. I'm the one your grandson has been teaching mana spells to," the rookie officer replied with a sheepish grin. Lynn pulled the door wider, allowing both men to enter. "I am training with Genis again today, but we also want to ask some questions on a case we're investigating. Is Raine available for a few minutes?" Oni requested.

"Raine is home right now, but I think she's in her room doing some research notes," Lynn responded, leading the two officers to the dining room, "Why don't you take a seat for now. I'll just go upstairs to see if Raine can come down." With that, the elderly woman took to the stairs, letting Azul and Oni ease themselves into chairs at the dining table.

After a few minutes of quiet note organizing and question refining, a series of thumps echoed from the stairs. "Hey, I didn't know you were both coming again," Genis exclaimed, bounding up to the two, "Isn't Oni coming alone just to train?"

"We have some questions to ask your sister, Genis," Azul explained, shuffling his notes on the dining room table, "If you can wait a while, we'll come over and I'll watch Oni train with you again. Besides, don't you have homework to finish? A kid in junior high like you should have quite a bit of homework every night, right?" he wondered.

Genis smiled. "I'm done my math and science homework. I spend a little more than half an hour on each topic, since they're so easy. I actually do my homework right when I get home." The young half-elf leaned into the table and whispered to his two friends, "I use the extra time at night to review anything I don't get completely. In the past, when I'm not reviewing, I help Lloyd out. He actually works harder now, to the point where he can do his homework without me coaching him over the phone. Had he stayed a lazy bum, I doubt he'll make it to college!"

Oni could only shake his head at Genis. "I don't think you should make fun of him like that," he admonished the silver-haired boy for giggling at Lloyd's predicament, "I'm sure there were problems that he had to solve on his own. Besides, now that he's turned things around, shouldn't you be happy for your friend instead?" Oni suggested.

Genis shrugged. "Oh, I'm happy for Lloyd alright. But still, asking someone five years his junior to help him with his homework is pretty bad. I'm surprised it's only now that he feels embarrassed by it," Genis declared, pressing his arms on the back of an empty chair and leaning his torso slightly against it, "But hey, at least Lloyd and I are still friends today, right?"

Before either officer could get another word in, Lynn returned with Raine following her. "You better run along now, Genis. We'll talk to you in a bit," Oni whispered. Soon enough, Genis scurried off, replaced by Raine in the dining room. "Hello, Miss Sage. Azul and I have some extra questions on the fish tank case that we would like to speak with you about."

Raine nodded, taking a seat before them. Lynn slipped back into the kitchen to prepare dinner as Azul asked the first question. "So Raine, from Sheena's testimony, she said you led her into the Albane lab the first time. But you didn't stay the entire time, going back to your own office after. Can you tell me what you saw when you stepped out into the hallway?"

Raine took a deep breath, placing her clasped hands on the table. She went through all the details in her mind before speaking in a clear tone. "There was a lot of renovation going on, and I saw renovators going back and forth. There was also a lot of noise, especially with them drilling into the walls. I didn't recall anyone approach me though," she concluded, lips slightly pursed.

Azul nodded thoughtfully, scribbling hard on his notepad. Seeing there might be a lead, Oni followed up on it. "Sheena claimed she saw a red-haired man who was supposedly part of the renovation team," Oni stated, describing some physical attributes of Frank Warner, "Do you recall seeing someone matching or resembling that profile on your way out?"

Raine's hands migrated to her face, gently rubbing her cheeks and creasing her brows. "I did see someone like that, but I'm not sure if it's the same person Sheena saw. There may be more than one red-haired renovator, since they have an entire team. You can't dismiss a theory that easily, right?" Raine retorted, threatening to go into archaeology analysis mode on the spot.

Luckily, Azul was there to steer her back on the right path. "Assuming there is only one red-haired renovator on that team, do you think this mystery person fits the very description that Sheena gave on her testimony?" he asked, his voice gentle but his tone firm.

"Then yes, that would seem more like it," Raine replied with a nod, "I recall him being close to that room when I left. I'm guessing he heard Andy storming out after the yelling match with Professor Albane, although with the way they were going at it, I think you could hear them all the way in Sybak. The renovation team was still there when I left, but they were in the process of cleaning up already, so I guess they would have left shortly after I did." Raine turned to the two officers with that distinctive glitter in her eyes, causing them to shudder in fear. "Solving a crime is like researching a historical artefact. You can never eliminate any possibility unless you have evidence to do so. You two should come to my lab when you have free time, just so we can compare investigative techniques. When will you be free?" she demanded.

Azul and Oni quickly shook their heads, trying to cut Raine off as quickly as possible before she went full-blast at them. "I think we got what we were looking for here, so let's call it a day and move on," Oni stuttered, trying to stuff his notes back in his bag, "Besides, we promised to spend some time with your brother. Don't want to keep him waiting, do we?"

The two officers hurried off before Raine could say another word, hustling into the living room where they could catch their breaths. When Oni placed down his bag and removed his brown jacket, he noticed Genis was sitting on the couch. The boy's vest was unzipped, his shirt underneath lifted and clamped against his collar with his chin. His left hand pressed against the skin on his belly, pulling the skin around his navel to maximize its area. "Uh, what are you doing?" Oni queried, pointing at Genis prodding the crater with his right index finger.

Genis' eyes lifted slightly. "I'm warming up my belly button for the spells, and I'm also keeping it clean," he declared with a flourish, "Don't forget from the first day that the belly button is the centre of the body. All mana being cast must go through it first, so it's important that you keep it clean. It's especially important for you, given the type of shirt you wear."

Oni glanced down at his exposed abs, his Loni-Kyle shirt leaving his own belly button uncovered. He never really considered cleaning his navel as being an important task. "If you don't clean it frequently, perhaps you want me to do that for you?" Genis commented from the couch, the young half-elf's eyes fixed on the depression on Oni's gut while still poking his own.

Oni winced, glancing helplessly at Azul, who only responded with a nonchalant shrug. "I guess that's why they call you the belly button fanatic, huh?" Oni responded weakly, his hands migrating to his stomach to defend against a potential onslaught of pokes from his young friend.

* * *

><p>While Oni was enjoying his time training at the Sage household, the mood was anything but jovial at the Brunel household. Frank and Phoebe invited Lloyd and Gil over for dinner, but the police sergeant's mind was not at the dining room table. Instead, his laptop was out, showing everyone some very disturbing quotes from his son's website. "This guy here was commenting on the death that occurred in the lab adjacent to yours," he informed the archaeology professor.<p>

Frank glanced at the quotes written by the poster Death Angel, his eyes tilted back and forth and colour flushed in and out of his face. "I heard both deaths on the news, and it's really scary that one occurred so close to me. You're investigating them both, yes?" he asked.

Gil rubbed the bottom part of his goatee. "Yes, and I say Death Angel knows quite a lot for a passerby. Even if you assume the posts are all based on what was already released in the news, Death Angel is following it very closely, almost like they're obsessed by these killings."

Frank's body nearly deflated, sinking through his chair and onto the ground. "And Death Angel also responded to Lloyd's most recent attempted rebuttal," Gil pointed out, scrolling to the bottom of the page. He turned the monitor around so even Lloyd and Colette could see. "This is the latest post after Lloyd told them not to resort to vigilantism."

Lloyd pushed his head closer to the screen, reading out each offending word. "What garbage! The only reason scum like them can roam is because the system refuses to address them. Individuals should make sacrifices and bloody their hands to better our society." Lloyd winced hard as his post was shot down by the anger-filled reply. What's with all that hate?

From the other side of the table, Phoebe chimed in, "Is there a way to get rid of a user like that? Obviously they must be breaking at least some rules on the forum by posting that much hate. If Lloyd is the administrator, then can't he remove this Death Angel from the website?"

Lloyd glanced at Gil, who had a strange twinkle in his eye. "I actually told Lloyd not to get rid of this person yet. If this is a potential lead to our case, then it's best to keep them happy and comfortable for now," he explained, "In fact, I believe Lloyd is working on a new feature on the website that may be of use to us. Why don't you reveal to everyone what it is?" he suggested.

Lloyd approached the laptop with a smile, clicking a couple of buttons that led to a blank page. "I'm trying to add a new feature to the website that allows users to chat online, almost like a chat room," he pointed out, clicking and typing in some commands, "Since we have both a forum and a private messaging system, we should allow people to chat instantly too, right?"

Gil nodded sagely. "It's with these features that I plan to figure out this Death Angel person for sure. Since Lloyd is the administrator, he has access to everyone's accounts, and can go through what email has been sent. This goes for both the sender and the recipient," Gil stated, "That way, we can keep track of Death Angel and what they're possibly up to."

Frank scratched his chin. It did seem like a good strategic move to keep an eye on things online, but somehow he still didn't feel safe. "What will happen if this person chooses to go after you personally?" he asked, "I mean, being a police sergeant makes you a somewhat public figure, right? Won't that place you in their line of attack should they turn on you?"

Gil shook his head. "I'm having a totally different thought in mind," he responded, taking the laptop back from Lloyd, "You see, I believe this Death Angel person craves attention, given the number of users that commented on their posts. For example, there is this one here, posted just a couple of hours ago, by this user named 'Pirate King' who pointed to another death that happened last night. Lloyd and Colette would know why this was of significance."

The two teens leaned their heads in again as Gil clicked the link posted by Pirate King, which was the afternoon news release by the Iselia Police Department on the death of Kent Ruffin. "This is the Major Crimes suspect that you were mentioning about last night, right?" Colette pointed out, "You rushed out the door after hearing he escaped from the hospital?"

Gil nodded. "With Pirate King showing that much support to Death Angel, going so far as to buttress Death Angel's comments with a news article, Death Angel must feel like they cannot be stopped. That's why if Lloyd or I can set up a meeting with them via the chat room, then the police can zoom in on Death Angel and bring them in for questioning." The goateed man took in and released a deep breath. "It's going to be a risky move, and the police will have to be extra careful. Any false moves and we may scare off our main suspect for good."

Just then, Colette turned to face Lloyd. "Maybe you should talk with Death Angel via the chat room," she recommended, "I think it's just a huge misunderstanding, and Death Angel isn't really a killer. If you can find out why they really feel this way, maybe you can help them."

Both of Colette's parents shot disapproving looks at the blond teenager. "Don't be so naïve. We may be dealing with a serial killer here, so what can Lloyd do to convince them to stop killing?" Phoebe scolded her daughter, "Let's not get in more danger here, Colette."

However, Lloyd was surprisingly receptive to his girlfriend's proposal, actually believing Colette had a point. "If I can use the email system or chat room to keep Death Angel's attention, then it's possible that we can reel them in," he analyzed, "I can at least make it easier for the police to confront them, should the police plan on making an arrest."

Gil slowly turned his head towards his son. "You're not saying what I think you're saying, right?" he asked, eyes flashing in surprise, "Are you seriously wanting to get involved in this case? You do realize this can be dangerous if we're doing an actual police operation. This isn't like Cruxis, where I worked with them for ten years and could predict their moves. This is an individual that we've never met before. Who knows what they are capable of?"

Lloyd was undaunted, insisting to help his father all the way. "If we can take out Cruxis, then we can take out some weird internet stalker," Lloyd declared firmly, "I'll support you on this one. If you want me on a police operation, just give me a shout."

Gil nodded apprehensively. Somehow the details were still fuzzy, but at least the wheels were put in motion. Assuming Lloyd would bait the hook, the only question was if Death Angel would bite. Shutting down the laptop, he turned back to Frank and Phoebe, who were still a bit shaken. "When will dinner be served?" the former undercover police officer asked with a smile.

* * *

><p>I know some people might think Senel Coolidge from Tales of Legendia makes a better MMA fighter, given he's the only Tales hero to fight without a sword. But I have another role for Senel later on in the story, so Reid will take his place at the martial arts dojo instead. Besides, Farah Oersted herself resembles an MMA fighter as well, so it's only feels right she gets Reid involved.<p>

As for everything else, canonical traits of each character are showing again. Lloyd is being hard-headed and determined, Colette trying to solve everything by being nice, Genis being kind of bratty, Raine going archaeology mania on the officers, and Gil using his weird investigative techniques (especially on Reid). Hope everyone likes what they're seeing so far, and I'll see you next chapter!


	6. Death Angel Meets Twin Swordsman

I want to thank **Fenrir of the Shadows**, **AccessBlade**, and **Legend of Zelda 4 Life** for reviewing last chapter. Here, you will finally see some action taken to deal with the mysterious poster known as Death Angel. The team will get major help from yet another Tales character making a cameo appearance. This time, it is Jade Curtiss from Tales of the Abyss. The editing of Jade was done by **Fenrir of the Shadows**, who I thank kindly for the input. So, let's get started!

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. **AccessBlade** owns Cameryn Lachance. **Fenrir of the Shadows** owns Azul Kharlan. **Legend of Zelda 4 Life** owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.

* * *

><p>The shower hissed to a halt as a moderately muscular arm shot out from the curtain and snatched a white towel off the rack. The arm then made its way back through the curtain with the towel clutched around the fingers, like a sandworm devouring its prey in the desert south of Iselia. After a few scratching sounds later, the curtain was pulled back, allowing a teenager to appear through the fog like an apparition. "It's finally the weekend," Lloyd Irving murmured, rustling his unruly brown hair with the towel.<p>

The spiky-haired teen tied the towel around his naked waist. Approaching the sink and peering into the mirror, he grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste. It had been another eventful week for him, to say the least. His father got himself in another complicated case, now dealing with three deaths that occurred under mysterious circumstances. Now Gil was swamped with a whirlwind of activities, not sure when he had to take off at instant notice.

Lloyd filled his cup with water and spread the toothpaste onto his toothbrush. Facing the mirror once more, he gave his mouth a rinse, stuck the brush onto his teeth and scrubbed thoroughly. Somehow, a poster on his website was the one to know the most about these deaths, forcing Lloyd to get involved in the most unlikely way. Lloyd found it odd that each time a death occurred, Death Angel was right there to comment on it, using spiteful language and almost like they were taking credit for each event. How this guy knew so much, Lloyd would never know.

After a few more rinses and brushes, Lloyd put his dental utensils away and preened through his hair with a comb. In the midst of all this, Gil had a crazy plan to keep Death Angel happy. He claimed this was the perfect time to track this mysterious figure, and quite possibly take them into custody. Initially, Lloyd promised to help Gil however necessary, including setting up a chat room to communicate directly with this person. But now, with other posters getting involved and commenting on Death Angel's posts, things were not getting any easier.

The cool air from outside the steamy bathroom chilled Lloyd's skin as the teen stepped out to the hall, holding his old change of underwear. He marched through the second floor and to his room, passing by Gil's door along the way. Inside, Gil was already awake, changed into his regular clothes, and typing away on his laptop. "Dad, do you want the bathroom? I'm done with it, so if you want to shower, here's your chance," Lloyd offered, peering at his father.

Gil lifted his head like a gopher peeking out of its hole. "Thanks Lloyd, but right now I'm a bit tied up," he responded, his eyes alternating between Lloyd and the laptop like a metronome, "I'm planning a meeting with Captain Noishe and the unit later today. They supposedly have this computer and IP expert that can track the posts on your website, so I want to get ready first."

Lloyd tilted an eyebrow, knowing an IP check might trace Death Angel. Hurrying back to his room, Lloyd tossed the towel on his bed and his old boxer briefs into the laundry bin. He then opened his clothes drawer, revealing pairs of clean white boxer briefs. He took the top one and slipped it on, adjusting it left and right before trotting back to his father's room. "So what will this computer expert do?" Lloyd asked, his thumbs dipped into the waistband.

"Based on the website, Death Angel and their cohort of fans posted quite frequently. That means they have pretty easy internet access," Gil replied, not even lifting his head while his fingers pecked away at the keyboard, "If we use when each post was made and track the IP location, we can pinpoint where exactly Death Angel was at that time. Are you with me so far?"

Lloyd nodded. He pressed his shirtless body against Gil's desk, to which Gil pushed the monitor sideways so Lloyd could get a look as well. Gil had each post by Death Angel noted on an extra document, with time and content all organized to a tee. "Are you just going after Death Angel for now, or will the other posters be investigated as well?" Lloyd asked.

Gil shrugged, knowing anything was possible. The internet made any communication between individuals pretty much anonymous. "That is also why we want you to set up that chat room ASAP, in case the IP search turns out inconclusive," Gil explained, turning the laptop back to himself, "If we can put a face to the name, then it will help us flush them out in person."

Lloyd nodded gravely, knowing his role in this operation just became that much more crucial. "I still have a few programs to set on the chat room, but it should be up and running by tonight," he reported, "I still think Colette's idea of trying to contact them in person may be the best way to get Death Angel to show up. What do you think?"

Gil shrugged again. There were still many details to be sorted out, especially with police providing Lloyd an escort should he truly plan to meet Death Angel in person. "It won't hurt to send the invitation first, just to test Death Angel's appetite for a meeting," Gil suggested, "I can bring this idea up in front of the team. Maybe Colette's plan is the one that works in the end?"

Before Lloyd could comment, a soft rumbling sounded off from his stomach. Lloyd lifted a hand from the wood and rubbed his abs, fingers dancing through each part of his developing six-pack. "I don't know about Death Angel's appetite, but I know my appetite is calling me," he stated with a sheepish grin, "Can I get some breakfast first, before we talk more?"

Gil smiled. His son's famous appetite surely got the best of him this time. "Just don't run off to get food in the middle of our operation if it truly involves you. You have to put in full concentration and effort, or our suspect will escape," he warned his son somewhat sarcastically while saving the document on his laptop, "Anyway, I will take a quick shower first, so give me a few minutes. Feel free to start breakfast without me, if your stomach can't wait."

Lloyd smiled back before turning for his room. He slowly rubbed his stomach, his digits somehow made their way to his navel. He rubbed the rim of the deep depression in a circle. "Is Genis starting to rub off me?" Lloyd muttered, remembering when he and Colette kissed on the beach in the evening in Altamira. Both sides had their hands near their navels, and both made comments about making sure Genis didn't see that. "Don't tell me Genis' belly button fanaticism is happening to me, or I'll never live it down."

Entering his closet, Lloyd went to find his usual clothing, laying out his baggy jeans and red T-shirt along with his dark open-fingered gloves on his bed before he got dressed. The teen was happy to just enjoy this short period of normalcy, given it probably would not last for long. Within even a day, things were about to get hectic, and Lloyd didn't know how deep a hole he would be in should Death Angel ever decide to meet him in person.

* * *

><p>Another explosion rocked the Sage household as dust, soil, and gravel were shot into the air. Amidst all that, two silver-haired half-elves and an elderly human lady coughed hard and tried to wave the debris away from their faces. "Ugh, what's going on here?" a novice spell caster grumbled, squinting his eyes to see through the smoke.<p>

Genis tried to peer back at Oni through the debris, seeing the rookie police officer with a huge frown on his face. "I've tried everything, but it doesn't seem to be working," Oni groaned, throwing up his arms in exasperation, "I'm following all the steps, I feel the mana in my body, I can kind of tell the difference between the types, but the spell always ends like that!" Oni's body slumped down into a squat, his eyes downcast and his head dipped close to the ground.

Genis bit his lower lip, tilting his eyes to his sister and grandmother. It had been over a week now, and Oni made little progress with actually casting a spell. It took Ricardo only a few days to get Genis to do basic spells, but Genis realized the same was not happening between him and Oni. Was Oni truly struggling that much or was Genis just an ineffective teacher?

"Why don't you guys just take a break for now, and we'll figure something out later?" Lynn suggested, sipping her tea from her seat at the back patio table. In the adjacent seat, Raine also looked on in worry. The two male half-elves were drained physically and emotionally. Nobody would have expected a morning practice between Genis and Oni to turn into such a stressful experience, and things were close to the tipping point for both mages.

Genis and Oni sat on the steps of the deck leading to the backyard, surveying the dust and debris now sprinkled across the lawn and wondering what truly went wrong. "I don't think it's because you used too much mana when you were casting. If you did, then you would have felt a bit dizzy afterwards," Genis stated, recalling his own experience of casting for the first time, "Maybe you were still having trouble sorting out the types of mana?"

"I don't know, and I don't think we're going to know soon," Oni sputtered, holding his head in his hands and shaking it in disappointment. All he wanted to do was to try out mana casting, to get in touch with his elven side, and to learn an art that was nearly lost through history. He did everything according to Genis' instructions, but why was he still failing?

"Is there another method that you can use to approach the actual casting step?" Raine asked, her tone filled with care and concern, "I know when I was learning healing mana, I had to go to the injured area and feel the mana there. That way, I can sense the mana balance in the body and see if a slight change to that will make things better for the person. Perhaps there is some other route through the body that the mana can go through before shooting out?"

Genis paused, tilting his eyes back and forth between his sister and his student. Raine's comment reminded him of his own strange experience with mana and spell casting, which let him create a unique technique that he could still use successfully today. Would Oni be better off to learn this method instead? Taking one more look at the blond half-elf, especially with his Loni-Kyle shirt, Genis decided to take a gamble. "Raine, I want you to help me get some stuff," he requested, "This may help Oni with his spell. Can we go inside the house first?"

Raine tilted an eyebrow at Genis. She slowly got out of her seat and followed her brother back into the house. Oni was left looking on confused as Lynn waved at the vacant chair beside her. "I wonder what they're up to," Oni commented, easing himself into the seat.

Lynn shrugged. Being Genis' lone parental figure since the boy was six, Lynn knew what Genis was like when a source of inspiration hit. "Once he figures out what to do and how to do it, there's almost no stopping him," she described, "It's the way he is with everything, not just with mana casting or schoolwork. It's quite remarkable to watch if you're around him."

Oni took a peek through the window on the back door, trying to peer through the drawn shades. Genis was still prancing around the house, with Raine hesitantly or confusedly following him. "So if Genis is like that whenever he's inspired, then won't some people find his personality too quirky to deal with?" Oni asked, turning to face Lynn again.

Lynn smiled and nodded. "If my grandson is convinced he can trust and respect you, he'll give you his unconditional loyalty. But if that trust and respect is lost, then good luck getting that back," she explained, taking another sip of tea and enjoying the cool spring breeze, "Genis may not have a hundred friends, but all the ones he bonds well with are those he'll probably keep forever. Lloyd and Colette are the best examples, along with a few other people in his school."

Oni nodded, seemingly understanding why the last incident when Genis offered to be a teacher to someone affected the boy that drastically. Not only did that girl betray Genis' trust and respect by refusing to listen, she also refused to take responsibility of her actions by blaming Genis for being harsh despite getting multiple chances. In Oni's mind, anyone, not just Genis, would see that as a huge blow to a friendship. It only solidified Oni's resolve cherish the many relationships he had, including friendships with Azul and Genis, and with his girlfriend at home.

Just then, Genis returned with Raine, both holding many items of interest. These included a lighter, a glass of water with ice cubes in it, a cellphone charger in which Genis asked Raine to plug into an outlet, and a small electric handheld fan. "What you're about to see is something I told you about at that scouts' camp," Genis stated, removing his vest, followed by his shirt, "If you get the idea behind this trick, then you'll be the second person in the world to cast like this."

Oni scratched his head, watching Genis fold up his shirt and placed it near his grandmother's teacup. The young half-elf then grabbed the fleece vest again, putting it back on but leaving it unbuttoned. Oni turned to Raine and Lynn, both of whom had sly smiles on their faces. Genis grabbed the lighter and lit it, placing the open, flickering flame right in front of his exposed navel. "Watch this," he announced to Oni with a smirk. Then, before Oni could even react, Genis rolled his belly once and shouted, "Fireball!"

To Oni's bewilderment, several balls of flame shot into the sky, coming right out of the round and deep depression on Genis' abdomen. Even though Oni heard about it briefly, never in his life had he seen something that unusual. "How did you do that?" he cried out in amazement.

Genis chuckled. "It's a trick a developed courtesy of a 9-1-1 call, a girl in distress, and my sister's rancid green curry," he beamed with pride, all the while Raine gaped at her brother's attempt to belittle her cooking skills. "It all happened about six months ago…"

Oni listened intently to Genis explain how mana external to the body might affect the internal balance. With the navel being the centre of the body, where all mana must go through, it was more sensitive to different elementals. "That's why another area that may feel tingly when a surplus of mana is around is the spine, which is on the other side of the body but at the same height as your belly button," Genis stated, gesturing at each body part, "If there is an overload of a certain type of mana around your belly button, you may cast a spell of that element without fully controlling it. If you can control what mana is nearby, you can control the spell."

Oni nodded thoughtfully as Genis demonstrated with the plugged-in charger. "Courtesy of my own cellphone," Genis declared with a grin, placing the other end of the wire near his belly button once more, "Now, Lightning!" Genis yelled, letting a bolt flare from his body.

The demonstration continued with Genis turning on the fan, blowing air around his uncovered stomach for casting Wind Blade. The final one was with the glass of water, which still had ice cubes floating in it. "Are you trying to cast both spells at once, Genis?" Raine asked her brother, taking the fan from him while handing him the glass.

Genis shot everyone a sly look, the grin of his face inerasable. He pressed the glass around his stomach once more while Lynn, Raine, and Oni watched anxiously. Right now, the young half-elf was trying to do what had never been attempted before, probably not even by the most skilled casters in the world. The ice cubes in the glass started clinking against each other, the ice mana squeezing together and the water rippling slightly. Genis felt perspiration dripping down from his mullet-like silver hair and his temples. He concentrated hard on separating not one, but two elements. If he could master this trick, he could very well be making history.

Then, taking a huge breath, Genis rolled his stomach once more and unleashed the mana. Tilting the glass outwards into the yard, three spinning water disks blasted out while a series of sharp icicles followed suit, flying a few feet before landing in the grass. Behind him, Lynn, Raine, and Oni applauded and cheered. "Way to go, Genis!" Lynn exclaimed.

Genis grinned sheepishly. "The spells could have been a bit better," he commented, placing the half-empty glass back on the patio table, "The water disks should have been more unison and the icicles could have shot out smoother. Not bad for a first attempt though."

"Not bad? You pretty much made history here!" Raine shouted, nearly jumping over the table, "You've got to do that again so I can study what the exact method was. If a mage can truly control more than one type of mana at a time, then…"

Before Raine could say more, the phone from inside the house rang, causing Lynn to excuse herself. As the grey-haired woman departed, Oni also whipped out his cellphone. "I was told to be on standby today," he informed Genis and Raine, "Apparently, Sergeant Irving may be holding an emergency meeting with an expert for our case, and we're to make our way to the station whenever that expert is ready. Who knows when that will be?" Oni ended with a shrug.

Genis shrugged as well. "Either way, I figure if you still have problems separating mana types within the body, then just pick the element before you cast and use your belly button," he suggested, "You can only cast a spell consistent with the element present, but I'm sure you're resourceful enough to find a way." From beside Genis, Raine's eyes twinkled like stars, relishing in the opportunity to study this unique spell casting technique.

Raine's hopes were dashed when Lynn called her granddaughter in, claiming the phone was for her. The older woman nearly had to drag Raine into the house, leaving Genis and Oni there gawking in shock. Oni had limited interaction with Raine, having done only one interview with her. But after hearing things about her by word of mouth from Azul and Genis, the blond officer now truly knew why she was labelled as the archaeology and history maniac.

Turning back to Genis, Oni saw the young half-elf hold up each item to him, gesturing to the Loni-Kyle shirt. "With your belly button always uncovered, I say it's the perfect casting method for you anyway," Genis observed, "Just make sure you keep your belly button clean at all times. The last thing you want is some lint or dirt in there making the spell inaccurate. It's also why I will never cast Stone Blast with my belly, given how much residue that would leave."

Oni winced again. He never really considered the navel as an area of priority. Besides, he felt touching the inside of the depression gave off a strange sensation up and down his abdomen, something he never quite got used to. Slowly standing up, he asked timidly, "Is there a third way to cast other than the traditional method and yours? It's just that, with how things are…"

Genis placed down the items and marched up to the taller half-elf, staring down the young man who towered over Genis by more than a foot. Within a flash, Genis' left hand clutched the black Loni-Kyle shirt and, in an unexpected move, jabbed his right index finger straight into Oni's navel. "If you do not clean your belly button, then I will not teach you any more spells. Got it?" Genis roared, sending a poke in with each word.

Oni could only squeeze his face in reaction to the strange sensation shooting up and down his body. Staggering off like a drunk, when Genis released him, the rookie officer rubbed his abs in an attempt to get rid of the weird feeling. From the corner of Oni's eye, he could see Genis returning to the table, taking off his vest and putting his shirt back on. "It's your choice, Oni," Genis warned, slipping his vest back on, "Clean it or no more spells."

Before Oni could respond, his cellphone rang, causing the blond half-elf to lean against the wall for support. Fishing the object out from his pocket, Oni took a deep breath before flipping it open. "Hello?" he greeted the caller weakly, his free hand still massaging his abs.

"Oni, it's Gil Irving," the caller responded from the other side, "Our expert witness will be ready to meet with our unit this afternoon, so please drop by the station after lunch. By the way, are you okay back there? You sound like you're being tortured or something, with the way you just answered the phone. Where are you and what's going on?"

Oni glanced over at Genis, who no longer had his attention on the officer. Genis now had a goofy grin on his face, lifting his shirt under his unbuttoned vest. Holding the shirt up with his left hand, the boy prodded his navel with his right, poking and wiggling it nonstop. What would Gil think if Oni told him Genis' fanaticism went overboard, making him the latest victim? "I'm at the Sage household right now, and Genis just taught me how to cast using my belly button. I think you know what happened next," Oni eked out, "Can I come to the station at one p.m.?"

* * *

><p>The officers filed into their unit conference room, anxious to hear what this guest speaker had to say. From what Gil told them over the phone, the man was an expert with computer and communications technologies, and was willing to offer his services to the team for tracking IP addresses. "Captain Noishe and I independently identified a person on my novel's webpage that may be of interest, and we're pushing our investigation that way," Gil described to each member.<p>

And there was the team on this Saturday afternoon, waiting patiently for Noishe to bring in the visitor. Gil was the last to step into the room, taking the closest seat to the right side of the speaker's podium. On Gil's other side, Presea was busy shuffling her notes around. She helped interrogate many suspects and went through mountains of evidence. But it was her knowledge in Gil's novel that made her insight particularly useful. Her progress in reading the book allowed her to make some eerie comparisons between what Gil wrote and what happened in real life.

Tilting her head to the left, Presea could see Gil rubbing his cheeks, his brows furrowed in anxiety. The usually unflappable staff sergeant was clearly suffering from the stress of dealing with this seemingly unsolvable case. Earlier, Presea informed Gil of her theory of how this novel fan was turning fiction into reality. In turn, Gil instructed Presea to report the similarities to everyone else, in hopes that this could at least narrow their search for this mysterious killer.

"Alright, can I have everyone's attention please?" Noishe's voice cut into the crowd as a newcomer followed the former Protozoan into the conference room. From the officers' angle, the guest was a bespectacled man in his late thirties, stood about six feet three inches tall, and had long brown hair that touched the shoulders. He had on a dark suit jacket and pants, while a light blue dress shirt was underneath the coat. "If we're all ready, then let's start the meeting."

The officers all pulled out their notebooks and pens, listening to Noishe recap the case so far. "We had three mysterious deaths in the past two weeks, and all seemed improbable," he began, "The first was at a scouts' camp, where the deceased, a campsite maintenance worker named John Walker, was crushed to death by a sign. When Azul, Oni, and Cabalina investigated, they found the chains holding the sign were cut, leaving a metallic residue in the soil. Azul, can you please elaborate on the findings from that case so far?" Noishe requested.

From the first seat to the captain's left, Azul flipped through his notebook. "We found that the deceased had a spat with his original supplier, which led to a fight between them," Azul listed, his eyes scanning down each line like a photocopier, "The deceased had an affair with the supplier's wife, which led to the supplier informing Walker's own wife. It led to the breaking down of both the contract between the supplier and Walker, and the relationship between Walker and his wife. Then shortly after that, Walker was crushed to death by the sign."

Noishe nodded, thanking the elf for the update. "While we got all that information back to go through, another strange case occurred, this time at the University of Iselia. Andy Linton, research assistant and graduate student of Professor Miguel Albane, was electrocuted to death by a fish tank. But this time, we have a couple of witnesses who pointed to the appearance of one individual. I'll let Oni tell us about this one," Noishe suggested, gesturing at the blond half-elf.

From between Azul and Cabalina, Oni flipped through his notes as well. "Azul and I went to the Sage household where we interviewed Raine Sage. She's the graduate student and research assistant in the Brunel lab, which is just next door to the Albane lab," he pointed out, "Raine did say someone with red hair was on the renovation team, which was consistent with the testimony the sergeant did with Sheena Fujibyashi, a visiting scholar. It seems like the redhead also visited the campsite where Walker died as well, and we're supposed to follow up on that case. I believe Cabalina did the interview with him, yes?" Oni asked.

The pony-tailed brunette to Oni's left nodded. "The man is named Frank Warner, and he's contracted to supply materials for the renovation job at the campsite. He was present on the day Walker died, but claimed not to have seen anything, courtesy of his van breaking down. Since Sheena and Raine only claimed to have seen Warner after I did my interview with him, I couldn't do a follow-up of that. However, he claims to have evidence showing why he was there at the time of death, but has yet to turn any of that in," she concluded with her lips pursed.

Noishe nodded again. "Cameryn tried to call Mr. Warner afterwards, but there has been no response yet, correct?" he asked the strawberry blond secretary, "But at the same time, you also noticed something unusual in the killings, as in there might be a pattern?"

"That's correct," Cameryn agreed to both of Noishe's points, "While I haven't had any luck with Mr. Warner, I was told that both deaths mirrored the killings in Sergeant Irving's novel. In fact, Presea, who had been reading the book so far, first pointed this out to me." Cameryn then turned to the pink-haired officer seated between herself and Gil.

Presea thanked Cameryn before explaining her comparisons. "The killings in real life are in the exact order as the killings in Gil's novel. The methods are quite similar too," she informed the group, describing each detail with pinpoint precision, "But the interesting thing is, we have a third death, this time occurring outside a martial arts dojo involving an escaped suspect from the Major Crimes Unit. And believe it or not, the details mirror the book's third death too."

The team paid close attention to Presea's idea. She noted that gas lamps were available in the past when electric lights were not as common. "Gil had his killer open a crack on a gas lamp, which the target lit every night as part of his job. When the target tried to light it, the seeping gas lit up the flame, and the target died via burning," Presea explained, her head alternating between her notes and the pages in her copy of Gil's book, "Forensics reports from the dojo death indicate that the gas lamp used had been tampered with, and the deceased was burned to death when leaking gas from the pumping caught fire. It's another murder that mimics the novel."

Noishe nodded once more. "Both Gil and I did independent searches on certain fan clubs that Gil might have regarding his novel, and it turns out that Gil's own son is running the biggest and most well-known club online." Noishe plugged the unit laptop into the projector, showing the homepage to Lloyd's website. "There is this poster going by Death Angel who commented on each death shortly after it occurred, each time using rather abusive language. Gil and I both decided that this may be a direction we can take the case, right Gil?"

"That's correct, and I've actually asked Lloyd not to delete this person from the website yet," Gil answered, his eyes glued to the projection screen as Noishe clicked on Death Angel's profile, "If we can do an IP search to locate the user's internet connection, then we can limit to where Death Angel usually hangs out, and potentially put a face to their name. I also went to the martial arts dojo with Presea, and the owner was kind enough to turn his security tapes into police custody. We actually caught a glimpse of what the killer may have looked like, so we're trying to find a way to connect the individual to the internet posts."

"I believe you claimed the culprit was a tall, red-haired man who picked the lock to the back door, right?" Noishe asked, "And you cleared everyone in the dojo already?"

Gil nodded. "They only have one red-haired fighter, and that's Reid Hershel," he replied, "I managed to get him to try picking a lock for me, and taped him with my cellphone. According to Azul, our unit expert in picking locks, Reid doesn't have a clue on what to do. He not only failed in picking the lock, he almost damaged it. Lucky for the dojo, the damage wasn't too great and I was able to retrieve the drugs from the locker belonging to the deceased. And lucky for my wallet, Reid's failure to pick the lock means I don't have to take him out to an all-you-can-eat buffet. Can you imagine how much I may have to pay if the restaurant charges me extra for how much Reid would have eaten, given his appetite?" Gil finished amidst laughter from the team.

Noishe tried to stifle his own laughter while introducing the man to his left. "This is Jade Curtiss from the SIU. He was hired a few months ago to oversee the unit's communications and technology after fifteen years in the military. To put it another way, he's like Presea's replacement in the SIU, taking over her role after Presea left the SIU to join our unit. Jade, the floor is yours," the former Protozoan concluded, stepping to the side.

Jade gave a weird smirk before approaching the podium. "Nice bit of storytelling from you guys earlier, at least in terms of summarizing the book and the current events. But to solve this case, it'll take more than an overactive imagination by our staff sergeant," Jade pointed out, gesturing at Gil, "I'll run an IP check on the website, isolating and identifying each post by Death Angel. If you please, Sergeant, can I see the posts?"

Gil handed Jade a set of notes containing all of Death Angel's posts, including time of posting and a short summary of each. "I also cross-referenced them to actual time of death and how long it would take the killer to possibly get home or to the nearest place with internet access," Gil informed the SIU technology expert, who read the page emotionlessly, "Do you think we can limit the area in which Death Angel may have been in when the post was made?"

Jade smirked again. "If we have enough information, we can even find out where they live and if they're online right now. Big Brother is certainly watching Death Angel now," he added with a chuckle, "Now let's see what this baby can do." With that, Jade turned to his own laptop. With squinted eyes, Jade typed in the data, trying to follow Gil's note closely. From around the conference room table, all the officers looked on with curiosity and anxiety.

Jade's fingers blasted through the keyboard, activating multiple systems at a time. "For anyone who is technologically deficient, I'm running the IP search right now," Jade explained, pushing his glasses back on his nose while waiting patiently, "This will look at where the poster accessed the internet and with what provider. Before the recent upgrades, the SIU can only run searches on one post at a time. Now, thanks to a system upgrade, we can input multiple posts."

Presea nodded thoughtfully. "I recall helping set up that system shortly before I came to this unit," she stated, thinking back to the short period of time between when she had the Cruxis Crystal removed and when she came over. After she was cleared of any wrongdoing, she spent a few more weeks in the SIU before coming to Gil's unit. One thing she did at that time was to set up the basics of this program. She didn't get a chance to see the finished product, but she was glad it worked out okay. "So are you now in charge of this whole program, Jade?" she asked.

"So you're Presea Combatir? Captain Burton keeps mentioning you in the SIU," Jade responded with a smile, "I heard all sorts of great things about you, although being controlled by a Cruxis Crystal can't be fun. Is everything going better now, with that thing removed from your collar?" Jade inquired, disconnecting Noishe's laptop while plugging his own into the projector.

"It's much better, actually," Presea replied, "At least I don't always have my emotions subdued, and I actually feel like my life isn't always at risk. I get to enjoy life a lot more than I could with that thing on, and that's why I'm picking up on my hobbies like collecting paw pads or reading Gil's mystery novel. Anyway, what do you think of the IP system so far?"

Jade tilted his eyes back to his laptop, which was now spitting out results onto the screen. "It's definitely better with the upgrades added after you left. You certainly left a good backbone for us to add the meat onto," Jade answered, clicking buttons and flipping through files in a mechanical pace, "Although for the same job in the unit, they sure found two very different people to do it, at least in terms of appearance. I'm what, two feet taller than you?"

Before Presea could even show her shock from Jade's comment, Jade announced the IP results. "We have several areas of interest here," he pointed out, transcribing the access points onto a city map, "A few posts came from this mall near the downtown area. I believe the mall has Wi-Fi or some station where people can surf the net. Does anyone know?" Jade asked.

Gil squinted at the map now showing on the screen. "I think that may be the mall where I held my book signing event," he stated, trying to recall the details, "I'm pretty sure there is internet access available there. Assuming Death Angel is associated with or is the actual killer, you think they might be a regular visitor to that mall?"

"Our great writer is a step ahead here," Jade complimented Gil somewhat sarcastically, "It's likely that the killer might have gone to that mall. Assuming they're a fan of the book, I won't be surprised if the killer got an autograph at the signing event. Are we sure the redhead from the security video is the killer, or am I a blind man leading a team of blind people?"

The team glanced at each other apprehensively, not sure if it was the confounding difficulty in linking Death Angel to the killer, or the somewhat off-putting attitude of Jade Curtiss that was bothering them more. Jade seemed like a mix of Gil Irving's brains and Robert Ross' sarcasm, making things awkward for the group. Why was it that of all the people they could have chosen to lead the IP search, they had to get one with such a dry sense of humour?

Despite the strange silence, Jade soldiered on. "We have a few other areas, although they seem to be all over town," he continued, pointing his mouse at various places, "I've got a ragbag of places here, including industrial areas, hotel and tourist areas, and some commercial buildings. I even have a building in the University of Iselia campus too. Anything sound familiar here?"

Suddenly, a round of chatter appeared from the officers, all of them comparing notes and locations. Sensing some inspiration, Noishe informed Jade of the discoveries. "We believe the killer is proficient in metallurgy, electronics, and probably lighting equipment. Industrial areas may have metal works, and buildings like hotels and businesses will be powered by lots of wires and other electronics. One death occurred in the university, so that may also be a lead. It feels like Death Angel may be related to this in some way," he commented.

Jade nodded. Clearing his throat loudly, he asked the group what their plans were. "It's obvious that you school kids want to track down this guy," he announced, "I want to warn you that an IP address may indicate where the person went at that time, but not necessarily their permanent location. While I can take a day or two to map where Death Angel posted from at each given time, seeing them face-to-face is still up to you. So do you have anything in mind?"

Just then, Gil raised his hand, silencing the room as he stared forward. "Captain, Jade, my son and I have been talking about this user. I think it's in our best interests to see Death Angel in person, if they are indeed making death threats and such on the website," Gil declared, "Lloyd sent an invitation to meet with Death Angel already, but if we can meet them at the mall shown on the IP search, then it may work to our advantage. It's an environment that Death Angel most likely feels most comfortable in, given the frequent appearances, but we also have the area narrowed down for a police operation. Is everyone willing to hear out my idea?"

* * *

><p>"Okay Lloyd, here's what will happen at the mall," Gil explained, showing Lloyd a map of the area. By the time Gil returned home from the meeting with his unit, Lloyd already got a response from Death Angel agreeing to meet in person. Luckily, Death Angel offered to meet at the very mall where Gil had his book signing event, making life a lot easier for Gil and his team. After relaying the message to everyone, Gil turned to brief his son on the events.<p>

"According to the location, the area where I did my signing was here. This is the main lobby of the mall that links directly to the main entrance," Gil pointed to the place on the map with his pen, "There are a few seats and benches along this area. Since you'll be carrying my laptop with you, I say plop yourself down onto one of those seats and keep your eyes peeled for the lobby. It could very well be that Death Angel will approach from the surrounding aisles."

Lloyd nodded with interest, trying to remember all the details. It had been nearly a year since he went on any undercover missions. The last time he did so, Gil was still a mole in Cruxis, and Lloyd was literally dragged along for the ride. Now, Lloyd was aware of the events, and even requested to be involved. That was when it dawned on Lloyd regarding how far he came.

But even so, the spiky-haired teen was still unsure of some details. "There will be a way for me to communicate with you, right?" he asked his father, "Won't it be clumsy if I have to hold your computer on my lap and my cellphone to my ear at the same time?"

Gil nodded. "That's why we're going to put a mike on you before you go into the mall," he answered, pointing to the parking lot area, "I spoke with Captain Burton of the SIU, and he agreed to send a few officers over to coordinate communications efforts. It doesn't hurt that Presea Combatir from my unit used to do that role in the SIU, so I think we'll be fine on that front. Do you want me to show you how that will work, or do you want to hear about that later?"

"Later is fine. We'll have another briefing with the team before the operation starts tomorrow, right?" Lloyd replied, rubbing his cheeks anxiously, "Anyway, what will happen once I get connected to the chat room? Do I just ask Death Angel to show up or something?"

Gil nodded gravely. "Unfortunately, internet communication often means both sides are anonymous. Death Angel has no idea you are Twin Swordsman, and vice versa. Because of this, the only thing you can do is to tell Death Angel your location and hope they can track you down from wherever they are," Gil described, scanning the map again, "Our team will be located in and around the lobby. It doesn't hurt that there's a second floor balcony overlooking it, so I will be somewhere up here to keep an eye on everything, as well as help coordinate my team," Gil concluded by drawing an imaginary circle around the area question with his finger.

Lloyd stuck his head into the map as he tried to figure out where everybody would be located. There were food courts, clothing stores, computer stores, even janitorial closets near the area. Assuming the police placed one officer at every second or third store, they would have enough people to surround the lobby. Would that be enough to scare off Death Angel? "What if Death Angel doesn't show up, and instead tells me to go to where they are?" Lloyd queried.

"We'll have officers around the main lobby area, so the idea is to get Death Angel to come to you, rather than you go to them. But if they aren't making it easy for you, then you'll have to use every means necessary, at least within a chat room, to get Death Angel to come over," Gil responded, scratching his goatee in thought, "Nonetheless, during police operations, anything may happen. If Death Angel chooses to disappear on you, then it'll make things harder for the rest of us. We'll have to make sure their IP location remains in that mall."

With that, Gil turned to a set of documents prepared for him by Jade Curtiss. Earlier, despite having to take a couple of days to sort through IP addresses, Jade did leave enough for Gil to track the IP addresses in the mall. "The mall has its own code in accessing the internet," Gil pointed out, flipping through the pages, "Jade told me that it's possible for the SIU to just focus on the chat room and check if the participants are logged in via that IP address. I spoke with Captain Burton regarding this already, so it shouldn't be a problem if Death Angel takes off on you. We just have to make sure this person stays within the mall."

Lloyd nodded. So far, the procedure seemed easy enough. He just had to do whatever it took to keep Death Angel within the mall. Even if Death Angel refused to go to the main lobby to meet Lloyd, the SIU could still keep an eye on things via the IP address search, notifying Gil whenever Death Angel planned on leaving. Plus, with so many sets of eyes watching the main lobby area, there was no way Death Angel could try anything funny, right? "So what will happen if Death Angel does indeed appear? What should I do then?" Lloyd asked.

Gil stared at his son emotionlessly, his dark brown eyes becoming a black. "If Death Angel does appear, then my team will proceed," Gil answered, spelling out each word carefully among the silence that now descended upon them, "Death Angel may try to escape or even use you as a hostage. This is why I'm reluctant to get you involved, as this is someone who may be involved, directly or indirectly, in several murders. If the situation gets out of control and anything happens to you, then I will never forgive myself. Do you understand?"

Lloyd stayed silent for a few seconds, leaning his forehead on his clasped hands which stood on his elbows. He was still confidant and determined to make a difference, but with things as unpredictable as Gil claimed, the risk was greater than he had anticipated. Was he truly ready to defend himself, if not get out of the way, when things got troublesome?

Shaking his head once more, Lloyd was adamant on making it work. "It reminds me of Emil and Ratatosk when they resealed Niflheim, and Emil wanted to use his own body to do it," the teen recalled, "Ratatosk split himself in half so that Emil could still live out the rest of his life with Marta, but it was Emil's determination that pushed this through. He knew the danger the world was in, and was willing to sacrifice himself. While I, and probably my namesake, would not approve of that, I can understand why Emil did it. And this is why I will take this task, just so we can put this serial killer behind bars and have not even one more person be harmed."

Gil pursed his lips. Maybe this was his son's attempt to show resolve, and to truly take on a more mature outlook at life. But still, knowing the immense pressure on every party, Gil had to make sure no one messed up tomorrow. Lives were at stake, and everything must be perfect. "I wish you and everyone involved the best of luck, because we may just require it," Gil stated.

* * *

><p>"Colette, what are you doing here?" Lloyd asked in shock as the police prepared to place a microphone onto his shirt. Originally, Lloyd did not expect Colette to come, making it clear it was an operation that he was taking alone. Yet somehow, here was his girlfriend in the flesh, standing just to the side and away from the police team, but still close enough to get the teen's attention. So to see the blond girl standing nearby was certainly a pleasant surprise for him.<p>

"Well, I did recall you wanting to take action against Death Angel, and you did tell me it's today, so I thought I'd come by," Colette responded, her tone positive but showing signs of worry, "I'll just stay outside the mall while you do your thing, so I won't be in your way. But I just want to wish you the best and hope everything will be alright."

Lloyd thanked the SIU officer who clipped the microphone onto the right lapel of the teen's red polo shirt. Lloyd then pulled a fleece jacket over that, covering the mike from open view. "Try to talk normally," the officer instructed Lloyd, who now picked up his father's laptop, "We have to see if everyone can still hear you with that jacket on."

Lloyd turned to face Colette as officers surrounding them left. Lloyd heard about Gil's team members many times before, but it was the first time to see everyone in action. Even the secretary Cameryn showed up to relay some messages regarding other developments in the case, but the strawberry blonde would not be part of the operation. "Colette, don't worry about it. With all these officers watching me, I'm sure I'll be fine," Lloyd assured his girlfriend.

Colette bit her lower lip and tilted her eyes away, strands of golden locks draping over the side of her face. "It's just I don't know what will happen when you do confront them. If this is really our mass murderer, they may not hesitate to hurt you. I can't possibly imagine what they may put you through!" Colette fretted, her body shaking slightly.

Lloyd tilted his head slightly, watching his girlfriend's blue irises glisten with moisture. "I still remember when I had that Cruxis Crystal on, and turned into a monster at that hospital," Colette recalled emotionally, "I lost control of my body and was about to go on a destructive rampage with Mrs. Sage. I somehow ended up at the front of the hospital, and the police arrived with their guns drawn. Then, before anything bad happened, you jumped in front of them and told them not to shoot. You even promised you would heal me, and made sure I would be alright. You do remember all that, right?"

Lloyd nodded. Even today, he couldn't quite explain why he did what he did. But when Lloyd saw the police ready to gun down Colette, something in his mind just clicked. "Even before that happened, I found it so hard being without you. I had to know that you were alright again," Lloyd described, recalling how he charged in instinctively, "So when you were being threatened like that, I jumped in without hesitation. I didn't want you to get hurt, if not killed."

"And that's the point, Lloyd!" Colette responded, her body tightening, her fists clenching, and her eyes coated with a steely determination, "You were so brave and strong back then, doing all that to make sure I was alright. And I know that strength comes from your kindness, since you were nothing but kind since I first met you more than ten years ago. But kind people also get hurt very easily, and I just don't want to see you hurt." Colette reached in and grabbed Lloyd's free hand, taking her boyfriend by surprise. "You made sure I was alright when I was a monster, so the least I can do is hope that you'll be alright when you face Death Angel in that mall."

Lloyd swallowed hard. He knew since the Cruxis fiasco that the bond between him and Colette was strong, but now it only grew stronger as they had to face imminent danger. "Thank you, Colette," Lloyd replied, nearly crying himself, "I promise you I'll make it out unscathed. I had a really hard time without you, and I know you feel the same way. I love you, Colette." With that, he pulled in and pressed his lips against hers. It didn't matter that Lloyd was in a police operation, and officers were being assembled even as they kissed. The two young lovers let themselves meld together as one, the whole world around them just turning into a blur.

It would be a few more seconds before a nearby officer told Lloyd to get ready. "Colette, I didn't know you came," Gil observed. His team arrived just in time to watch the two teens part ways. "I don't know how long the operation will take, so no one can give you a ride home for the moment. Do you want me to call Frank just before we start?" Gil suggested.

Colette shook her head. "Even though I'm not going into the mall, I still want to stay close, just to show Lloyd my support," she insisted, "Maybe I'll just find a spot at the far end of the parking lot or something. I think there are benches along the sidewalk, right?" Colette asked, gesturing at the wide lot now filled with the cars of Sunday shoppers.

Gil clacked his tongue. While he appreciated Colette's undying support for Lloyd, having her alone in such a dangerous operation was still risky. Turning around, he scanned the crowd for a moment before laying his eyes on the only person not involved in the operation. "Cameryn, are you going home yet? If you don't have anything to do in the next hour or so, can you accompany Colette, just to keep her safe?" he requested, waving the bespectacled secretary over.

Cameryn glanced at Colette, which reminded her of the last time she tried to protect another young lady. While Kate's incident ended in disaster, Cameryn was adamant that history did not repeat itself. "Of course, Sergeant," she answered, "I'll keep my eyes on Colette for the moment. We can help you observe the surroundings in case Death Angel makes a run for it."

Gil nodded in gratitude. Gesturing at the officers, he proceeded to getting the team inside the mall. Captain Noishe was waiting for them, just to put everyone in the correct position. "And regarding Mr. Frank Warner," Gil called back to Cameryn, "What exactly is the message he left on the unit line? Will he actually bring in his evidence?"

Cameryn nodded as well. "Mr. Warner claims he has all the evidence prepared and is willing to bring them in sometime next week," Cameryn stated, "The message was left just after we ended the meeting with Jade Curtiss yesterday. I picked it up this morning when I dropped by the unit to grab our operation plans before coming to the mall. Due to this mission, I didn't get back to him yet. If you can arrange a time by Monday, I can tell Mr. Warner when to drop by."

Gil thanked Cameryn before turning around and heading straight for the mall with his son. While Gil's unit and Noishe prepared inside, the handful of SIU officers boarded their van once more and drove off to a more isolated area in the parking lot. This was to stay out of sight, but also to limit distractions around them. That left Cameryn and Colette all to themselves. "Do you think they'll find what they're looking for?" Colette asked as they headed for the sidewalk.

Cameryn could only shrug helplessly. While the plan was edited and fine-tuned to perfection, there were still many things that could go wrong. Right now, the only thing they could do was hope and maintained their faith in the team. "Whatever will happen, there's only one thing for certain," Cameryn responded, "Death Angel is about to meet Twin Swordsman."

* * *

><p>I included several references to TOS: DotNW in here, particularly Lloyd's comments about Emil and Ratatosk. Also, Colette's dialogue with Lloyd at the mall is similar to the one she has with him in Flanoir in DotNW. Other than that, the action will pick up right when the next chapter is posted. Thanks for reading and hope to see you then!<p> 


	7. Mustard, Mayonnaise, Murderer?

I got reviews from **Fenrir of the Shadows** and **AccessBlade**. After leaving everyone with a semi-cliffhanger last time, the action will really get rolling this time. The team is now assembled in the mall, where Lloyd will lead the communications efforts to contact Death Angel in person. What do you think will happen in the encounter? Read on and find out!

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. **AccessBlade** owns Cameryn Lachance. **Fenrir of the Shadows** owns Azul Kharlan. **No Pain No Gain** (formerly known as **Legend of Zelda 4 Life**) owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.

* * *

><p>"SIU Communications Team to Captain Noishe," a male voice called to the former Protozoan over the radio, "Our van is now parked at the designated area and we're ready. We have both the communications station and the IP tracker online, so we're awaiting your orders."<p>

"This is Noishe. I read you loud and clear," the police captain responded, speaking into the microphone attached to his collar. Noishe was on a second floor balcony overlooking the main lobby of the mall, where he could see shoppers young and old traversing the area. His eyes scanned the floor below and saw a spiky-haired teen seated at a bench, his head facing the entrance. "Lloyd is in place already. How about everyone else?" he asked.

One by one, each member checked in with Noishe. Gil was on the other side of the round second floor balcony, overlooking the interior of the mall's first floor. "I got Lloyd all set up," he informed the team, "He'll keep an eye on what's happening in the chat room, and we'll keep an eye on the surroundings. Once we're ready, I'll have Lloyd contact Death Angel."

"Roger that," Noishe responded. Following the staff sergeant's answer, each member of their unit, as well as the reinforcements from SIU, called off their locations. From what Noishe and Gil gathered, Presea was at the escalators, Cabalina was at the food court directly up the aisle from the lobby, Azul was between two clothing stores, and Oni was behind a table with staff advertising computer technologies. "We also have three different public computer stations at this mall, each with internet access," Noishe pointed out, "Are the SIU colleagues there?"

When the response was affirmative, Noishe instantly contacted the SIU van. "All our colleagues are here, so we're all set," he stated, "How are things going outside? Do you have access to the chat room now? How about the IP addresses in the mall?"

"Everything is set, Captain," the computer expert replied, "Jade really got the system running well. I can get into this chat room and monitor the IP addresses coming from each post. If you want to bait the hook and see if Death Angel will bite, now is your chance."

Noishe nodded to Gil, who relayed the message to his son. As both captain and sergeant looked on, the spiky-haired teen below entered the message in the chat room, reading out every word he typed. "Death Angel, I am now at the mall. Where are you?" Lloyd spoke into his mike.

Gil, Noishe, and the other officers all watched intently from their locations. According to the tape from the martial arts dojo, Death Angel might be a man with red hair, stood about six feet, and of moderate built. Everyone had their eyes peeled for anyone with that description on a computer, laptop, PDA, or Blackberry. For a few tense moments, hearts raced and eyes darted left and right, the sounds of the mall nothing but slurs as officers surveyed the scene.

"Wait, I got something back," Lloyd's voice blared through the earpieces, "It's Death Angel, and he said he's already here." The teen felt his heart skip a beat, goose bumps shooting up and down his body and perspiration nearly soaked through his fingerless gloves. Taking deep breaths, Lloyd tensed his forearm muscles to prevent his hands from shaking as he typed into the chat room once more. "Death Angel, where in the mall are you right now?"

Amidst Lloyd's typing, Oni announced an observation. "There's a redhead, probably in his mid-twenties or so, just walking past me with a PDA. He should be heading towards one of the computer stations. Can the SIU member in charge at the closest station follow up?" he asked.

The SIU member requested confirmation from Noishe, as it meant stepping away from the station. "Alright, but make sure you don't leave for long. You never know if someone will go on the computer at that area while you're gone," Noishe ordered the officer.

On Gil's laptop, Lloyd waited for an intense few minutes before getting another response from Death Angel. "He said he got a drink earlier, and now he's finding a place to sit," he reported, "He didn't say what drink he got, so it could be anything." Biting his lower lip, Lloyd tried to pry some more information out of his counterpart. "Death Angel, I heard there are a few good coffee shops in the mall. Which one did you buy your drink from?" Lloyd typed.

"Good one, Lloyd. This should allow us to at least narrow the number of people on our target list," Gil complimented his son, all the while scanning his area once more, "Can anyone see any redheads holding a drink near their area?"

Before anyone could answer, the SIU officer who left his station interrupted. "The one I chased was a red herring. He was only checking the movie listings," he reported, "Besides, he wasn't holding a drink, so it probably doesn't fit our new description."

Noishe nodded. "So let's narrow our search a bit more then. We're looking for a red-haired male, standing about six feet, accessing the internet while holding a drink," he explained the new description, "SIU Communications, how is everything going in the van?"

"Wait, hold on," the SIU member on the IP Tracker chimed in, "I think there is a new input from the chat room." All officers inside the mall froze for a few harrowing seconds. "It's someone going by Pirate King. Did Lloyd invite this user as well?"

"No, I didn't," Lloyd replied from the lobby, "But this individual is a Death Angel fan, so I won't be surprised if they want to get into the conversation." Turning back to the laptop, Lloyd felt his stomach sank as the inevitable happened. "Pirate King said, 'Twin Swordsman, are you looking for Death Angel as well?' They're contacting me right now." Gritting his teeth, the teen knew if this interruption went on too far, it might jeopardize their whole operation. "Dad, what should I do here? Do we want to keep Pirate King around? Do we want to address them?"

Gil closed his eyes and racked his brain. If Lloyd refused to address Pirate King, then it would only make the conversation more suspicious. "Try to find out Pirate King's intentions first," he suggested, "We'll see if we can neutralize them by spinning the topic." Right now, things were going from bad to worse, and they still hadn't located Death Angel yet.

But before Lloyd could type another word, Death Angel responded. "I drink coffee all the time during work, so I try something different in my spare time. Try a fruit smoothie, it's good for you." Upon reading that, Lloyd's head shot up like his spine had been yanked by an invisible force. "Guys, Death Angel is drinking a smoothie! Look for anyone drinking a smoothie!"

Presea's voice cut into the conversation. "We got a redhead coming down the escalator right now. He has a cup in his left hand and a PDA in his right," she announced. The Ozette native squinted at the young man leaving the escalator, craning her head to observe the screen in his hand. "He's looking at a food website, I think. Speaking of which, Cabalina is at the food court. Can she see anyone with a smoothie while accessing the internet?"

"I'm on it," the brunette replied through the radio, "There aren't too many redheads in my area, although I haven't done a thorough search yet. What about the SIU people? Are there smoothie drinkers at the public computer stations?" she asked.

"Hold up, here's Pirate King again," Lloyd called, squinting his eyes as he nervously scanned the lines written by the new user, "Pirate King is asking if Death Angel received an email they sent over the private message system on my website. Do we want to check that?"

"We'll do it later," Noishe's instant answer shot through the airwaves, "Their current conversation with each other gives us a chance to scour the area. All team members should look around your areas for any male redheads going online while drinking a smoothie. Anyone who does not fit all elements of that description, you can disregard. As for the SIU van outside, you guys keep an eye on the IP addresses of Death Angel's posts. Make sure they are still from the mall's IP address. No matter what happens, we cannot let Death Angel leave this mall!"

Lloyd bit his lower lip again, his hands rubbing his face anxiously. On his screen, Death Angel excused himself for a moment, stating he was checking the email Pirate King wrote. It was really awkward how Pirate King just chimed in whenever they saw fit. It wouldn't put it past Lloyd that if those two ever met each other in real life, they might become accomplices to the crimes. "Anything so far?" he asked the officers, his own eyes darting around the foyer area.

Unfortunately, the officers were too busy checking their areas to give Lloyd a reply, which further grated on Lloyd's nerves. He scanned the lines of the conversation once more, reading the words written by him, Death Angel, and subsequently Pirate King. Before he could get to the final line, Death Angel suddenly responded back to Pirate King. "That email you sent is garbage! I can't worry about a two-year-old event in Luin. If that group is dumb enough to sail in that terrible weather, then I say their boat deserves to sink!" Lloyd read aloud, "Dad, I think Death Angel and Pirate King might be getting into a flaming war here. What do we do?"

Lloyd could hear Gil wince over his earpiece. It was evident that Gil was having enough trouble coordinating the search efforts while receiving reports from each individual. "I've got to stop this nonsense before Death Angel gets mad and leaves," Lloyd murmured. Rubbing his chin a few times, Lloyd typed into the chat room, "No need to get hostile. I don't know what ship sailed at Luin during what weather, but I'm sure those sailors didn't deserve to die."

Within seconds, Death Angel responded to Lloyd. "Sailing out of Luin harbour during a storm warning, that's something I'll never do. I may have blond hair, but I'm not dumb." Lloyd's eyes grew to the size of plates as his heart skipped another beat. "Dad, Death Angel might not be a redhead. Instead, he might have blond hair. Repeat, Death Angel has blond hair!"

Immediately, Gil relayed the message to the team. While Lloyd could not hear the exact details of the new instructions, he could tell the officers were scrambling right now. Lloyd lifted his head to do some observing as well, scanning the lobby for any male with blond hair, using an electronic device, while drinking a smoothie. Just then, one man seated on a bench about ten metres away caught his eye. He had blond hair and wore a denim coat in an unzipped fashion, showing a dark Loni-Kyle shirt underneath. He had a black laptop computer on his legs and an orange smoothie sitting on the bench next to his right hand. "Dad, there's a figure to my eleven o'clock position who seems to fit the description. I think this might be Death Angel," Lloyd described on his mike, "Can you send a few officers this way?"

Gil relayed the new information to the team, prompting Lloyd to make the final move. "Death Angel, I am seated on a bench at the lobby. Are you nearby? If so, why don't we show ourselves to each other?" Sending the message, Lloyd could only wait nervously and look on.

After an intense few seconds of watching the man peck away on the keyboard, Lloyd got a reply back. Upon reading the message, Lloyd's blood flushed out of his face. "I have an urgent appointment, so I can't stay for long. Maybe we can meet next time?" Lloyd gripped the mike on his collar and exclaimed, "Death Angel is leaving. I'm watching that guy right now, and he's starting to pack his laptop. I'm pretty sure our target is the one at the lobby!"

As Lloyd slowly shut down his laptop, he could see Presea and Azul approaching from the interior of the mall. The one he guessed was Death Angel barely got three steps off the bench when the two officers confronted him, flipping out their badges and demanding cooperation. Then, before Lloyd or the officers could react, Death Angel pushed past the two. The suspect sprinted for the interior of the mall, leaving Presea and Azul in his wake. "Guys, he's getting away!" Lloyd exclaimed into the mike, "He's heading deeper into the mall! We have to move!"

Presea and Azul regained their bearings and sprinted after the suspect. Lloyd took a glance around, watching officers in their original positions shuffling off. Even Noishe and Gil, who were leaning on the upstairs balcony earlier, now disappeared from view. Taking a deep breath, Lloyd shoved the laptop into the bag and slung it over his shoulder. He followed the officers into the mall, taking long strides as he tried to catch up. The spiky-haired teen did not expect to have to run after Death Angel, but right now the chase was on!

* * *

><p>"Police, freeze!" Gil's unit and SIU members shouted at the suspect known as Death Angel. The blond man hustled through the mall, heading down the aisle and speeding past the shops. It was an unexpected turn of events with the suspect barrelling past before an arrest could be made. With him no longer online, it meant the SIU communications team could no longer monitor Death Angel, making it more difficult to keep Death Angel within the mall.<p>

Death Angel charged through the mall, waving his laptop bag to clear the aisle. Shoppers and mall staff alike were being shoved aside as police officers tailed him. In the midst of all this, a spiky-haired teen that also had a laptop bag strapped diagonally across his torso joined the fray. "This is just ridiculous," Lloyd muttered to himself, trying to follow the screams of the shoppers, "Has mall security even been called to help yet?"

A familiar voice called to the teen now turning into another aisle. "Lloyd, wait up!" Gil shouted, ambling up to his son while keeping an eye on the officers, "At this rate it'll just be a wild goose chase. We have to corner him somewhere before we can make the capture."

Before Lloyd could even respond, a loud clang from the next aisle caught his attention. Both father and son hustled over to see Death Angel crashing into a garbage can located right next to the condiments station at the food court. It gave officers just enough time to charge in for the kill. "You're under arrest!" an SIU officer exclaimed, grabbing the suspect.

Yet Death Angel was not about to leave quietly. Swinging his laptop bag once more, Death Angel clocked the officer across the face, making him temporarily lose grip. It gave Death Angel just enough time to get back on his feet, trying to make another dash at it. With the condiment station right next to him, there was only one way for Death Angel to run.

Before Gil and Lloyd or any of their teammates could get close, another SIU officer leaped through the air, lunging at Death Angel like a bear pouncing on its prey. He clung onto the suspect, one hand on the jacket while the other tugged at the laptop bag strap. Frightened customers dodged out of the way, some of them shielding their children. The SIU officer attempted to throw down Death Angel like a wrestler, resulting in a strange struggle between them. "Guys, I can use some help here!" the officer yelled, staring back at his colleagues.

But Death Angel had something else up his sleeve, as he grabbed the closest object and hurled it at the officer. Unfortunately, it was a bowl of soup noodle, which ended up scalding the officer's hands and forearms. With the SIU member howling in pain, Death Angel pushed off the officer and headed for the adjacent aisle. "You guys keep chasing. I'll look after the SIU officer for now," Gil ordered his team, "If you have a chance, set up a manual roadblock."

Presea, Cabalina, Azul, and Oni rushed through, leaving Gil and Lloyd to attend to the injured officer with his two SIU colleagues. "Are you alright?" Gil asked, trying to lift the officer back up. Even without a thorough inspection, he could see redness developing on the officer's hands and forearms, his skin hot to the touch, almost like grabbing an iron. "You two take him to the bathroom and get him cooled down. Call the paramedics if he can't continue on. I'll have to coordinate the rest of the chase with Captain Noishe," he instructed the two remaining SIU men.

The SIU officers took their injured colleague in the direction of the bathroom, hoping to at least minimize the burns by dumping cold water on him. With only Lloyd left to his side, Gil's brain went into overdrive. "Captain Noishe, can you hear me?" Gil spoke into his mike, "We have an SIU member down right now, and only our team is on the chase. Where are you?"

"We're close to the lobby right now," Noishe responded amid static and more screams from panicked customers, "If Death Angel gets through that front door, we're in for it. I called the SIU van already, and they said they'll come over to at least cut him off. What's your plan?"

Gil cursed under his breath. If Death Angel reached the exit, the operation would most likely be over. Scanning the food court, his eyes paused at a large sign advertising the special of the week. Tilting back at the condiments station once more, an idea rumbled through his mind like a freight train. "If you can, I want the team to send Death Angel back to the food court," he suggested, "I have a way to stop Death Angel once and for all."

Noishe sounded hesitant over the radio, but he nonetheless barked out orders to his team. Turning to the teen beside him, Gil asked Lloyd to stand at a position between the two aisles and prepared to intercept Death Angel. "All you have to do is get him to come towards me," he explained, "Once he gets close to me, he's up for the taking."

Lloyd cocked an eyebrow, not even getting a chance to ask for further clarification. Gil then disappeared into the crowd lining up at each vendor. Despite the scare from earlier, Lloyd could see there were still many mall patrons willing to drop by for a bite to eat. But why on earth would Gil think it was a good idea for him to mingle with them, especially with a suspect on the loose? Didn't Gil tell Lloyd not to think about food on this mission, even if Lloyd's stomach rumbled like an earthquake? What was Gil trying to pull?

While Lloyd confusedly got into position, standing at a candy store that was conveniently located right between the two aisles and overseeing the whole food court, Gil was at the vendor he observed earlier. The special today was a deluxe chili dog with all the fixings, a treat bound to make anyone's mouth water. Even when the sizzle and smell from the grill penetrated through Gil's ears and nostrils, the former mole only had one thing in mind. "If you excuse me, folks," he stated to the people waiting in line, showing his badge flamboyantly to everyone, "I'm on police business and I would like to cut in line for just a few seconds."

Gil pivoted himself up to the next available cashier, leaving customers young and old to gape in shock. To the cashier, Gil made his request while grinning like a maniac. "I'm Sergeant Gil Irving of the Iselia Police Department," he stated, his trademark grin stretching across his face, "I want your ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise for the next five minutes or so. Once I'm done, I'll return it so you can continue to make those delicious chili dogs for these customers."

The cashier gaped at him with his jaw near his shoes, mimicking all the customers nearby who heard Gil's remark. What was the police staff sergeant trying to accomplish with these? "I would appreciate it if you make it quick, because my target is about to show up," Gil hissed, all the while keeping his grin intact, "You don't want to be remembered as the hot dog vendor who let a serial killer run amok all because he didn't hand over his condiments, do you?"

The cashier hesitantly handed the three squeeze bottles over, looking at Gil as if the staff sergeant had an extra set of limbs. Gil placed the mayonnaise into the right pocket of his leather jacket while gripping the ketchup and mustard in either hand. Slipping his hands inside his jacket, he nodded with a smile and slowly marched off, ignoring everyone who stared at him like a circus act. Gil marched to the far side of the food court, away from the hot dog vendor and leaned his back against the wall. Looking as relaxed as possible, he signalled to Lloyd with his head. He tilted his head to the right, telling his son to push Death Angel in that direction.

Lloyd barely got time to react as Noishe's voice echoed from down the aisle. Lloyd trotted over to the hallway just in time to see Death Angel barrelling towards him, with Noishe and the rest of Gil's unit in hot pursuit. Taking a deep breath, the brunette sprang into action. He lunged hard at Death Angel, hoping to block the escaping suspect's path.

Luckily for Lloyd, that was just the distraction required to push Death Angel away from the main food court. Death Angel made a quick leap to the left to avoid the diving teen, making him unable to make the sharp turn back towards the mall entrance. Lloyd stayed on the side to avoid the stampeding officers, knowing it was all up to Gil to stop this menace. Lloyd hesitantly craned his head up, spotting Gil stepping out in slow motion. Death Angel showed no signs of slowing, and Derris Kharlan was about to hit the planet once more.

Surprisingly, there was no collision. In fact, everybody, including even the mall patrons, froze in place. Armed with a bottle of ketchup in his right hand and a bottle of mustard in his left, Gil squeezed as hard as possible, sending the gooey liquids straight into Death Angel's face. The blond-haired man could only howl in shock, the sticky paste spraying into his eyes, nose, and lips. There would be no stopping Gil's twin fountains of red and yellow, the staff sergeant's left and right hands squeezing and relaxing in an alternating fashion. With seconds, Death Angel's face was decorated with the condiments.

Then, as if to rub salt on the wound, Gil placed down the ketchup and mustard and whipped out the mayonnaise from his jacket pocket. Amidst the laughter and gasps from Lloyd, the officers, and even the injured SIU member who just exited the bathroom, Gil aimed the white sauce at the chest of Death Angel. With pinpoint precision, he managed to spray a perfect "Z" on the black Loni-Kyle shirt. Lifting the bottle to his head, at the same level as his temple, he posed dramatically before declaring, "Adios, amigos!"

The crowd was stunned, not knowing how to react. "Well, that's one suspect that we'll be bringing back," Noishe stated, clapping enthusiastically. He grabbed Death Angel and pulling him to his unit. Cabalina placed some handcuffs on the messy suspect while Oni did the pat-down under Azul's watch. "Beaten by condiments, who would have thought of that?"

* * *

><p>"And that's how we met Chocolat," Colette concluded. She and Cameryn sat on the benches lining the sidewalk, heeding the recommendation to stay a distance away from the mall for safety concerns. While they waited for everyone to come out, the two went into some discussion about their history, especially regarding the plainclothes unit's first case.<p>

"I have to say that it's strange how our paths crossed during that first case," Cameryn commented, clasping her hands on her lap as she looked at the blonde on her right, "While you guys were trying to help Chocolat, who was lured into the cult via drugs, I was trying to help my neighbour Kate, who wanted out of the cult due to her association with the leader, which was her father. It didn't make me feel very good that every interaction I had with Kate might lead me to being accused of misleading my team, but in the end I had to do what I felt was right."

Colette nodded, adjusting the sleeves on her light blue hoodie. There was no wind on this spring morning, but there was an unusual briskness in the air. Colette somehow felt the chill deep within her body, which unnerved the blonde a bit. Even though being around Cameryn made her feel a bit more secure, she could not get the nagging feeling of something bad happening out of her mind. "You think they're okay in there?" Colette asked, her tone barely above a whisper. She tilted her head shakily in the direction of the mall, where the action was taking place.

Cameryn nervously glanced over as well. Like Colette, she had a similar feeling. It was almost reminiscent of when she first found out Kate was the daughter of the cult's leader. She recalled that it was right after when she brought Kate to buy some investments to save up for her college situation. They were at the bank when Kate accidentally dropped a piece of identification belonging to her father, and Cameryn picked it up for her. The fact that her father was the very man Cameryn's unit had been after shocked the strawberry blonde to no end. She was restless, had no appetite, and grew increasingly insecure after knowing the secret. Even though she tried to make things right, her efforts fell short. Kate ended up turning on Cameryn when the police arrived at her door. Now, Kate was charged with manslaughter. With her trial wrapping up really soon, Cameryn could only hope that the sentence would be reduced.

Turning back to Colette, Cameryn reached across and grabbed Colette's hand. "Just like how you wished the best for Chocolat, I could only wish the best for Kate," she responded, "I think, with both our experiences, we found out some things are out of our control. Other than showing emotional support, there's not much we can do." Cameryn turned to Colette and stared into her clear blue eyes, the irises slightly glistening and wavering in the light. "The fact that you're here supporting your boyfriend goes to show how much you care about him, and I know Lloyd feels the same way about you. After all, he is Sergeant Irving's son, so I'm sure he'll have what it takes to get the job done, the same way his father got the job done while still undercover. So don't worry too much about it, okay?" Cameryn suggested.

Colette bit her lower lip, her eyes tilting back at the mall entrance in worry. While it was true that her family, Lloyd, and the Sages had their fair share of adventures with police, this one felt extra unusual to her. Given that Lloyd had contacts with Death Angel over his website, that meant they might have been speaking to a serial killer all along. Who knew how many more of the website's users were criminals like those? "What's the description on the suspect again?" Colette asked, "Death Angel is supposed to be a tall man with red hair, correct?"

Cameryn nodded. Ever since she saw the security video of the hooded man in the mixed martial arts dojo, she had this nagging feeling that she might have seen this person before. Had it not been for the darkness, she might have no problems in identifying this person. But planning for this operation, plus preparing a date for Frank Warner to come in with evidence supporting his claims, really put a dent in the secretary's plans. Right now, studying the security tape became a lower priority for Cameryn. The bespectacled secretary swore that if she had a chance, she would review the tape herself, just to see if she could pick up any leads for her team.

Cameryn turned back to the mall entrance, just in time to witness a strange sight. The SIU van screeched to a halt outside the main entrance, its members scrambling out with firearms drawn. The strawberry blonde tapped Colette on the shoulder, signalling her to turn as well. Even though there was no communication from inside the mall, this could not be a good sign. "Is the suspect trying to escape?" Colette asked, craning her neck to see past the police van.

Several customers hurried out of the entrance, most likely due to the commotion inside. Colette and Cameryn glanced quickly through the crowd, but one figure stood out among them. He had shoulder-length red hair and wore a purple fleece vest over a light-coloured T-shirt. "That guy seems to fit the description," Colette pointed out, tugging on Cameryn's sleeve, "Can that be the suspect? Why are the officers letting him get away like that?"

Cameryn shook her head in frustration, her eyes tailing the strange man as he headed off to the far side of the parking lot. "If he gets to his car, we may never catch him," Cameryn hissed while wringing her hands, "Where are Captain Noishe and Sergeant Irving?"

Before the two ladies could take an extra step, the plainclothes unit stepped out of the mall. They had a suspect in handcuffs, triumphantly handing him over to the SIU van. Much to the surprise of Colette and Cameryn, the suspect had blond hair. What was going on here? "That guy does not look anything like the suspect in the video," Cameryn muttered, "Is the redhead we saw from the dojo the real killer, or is he just an accomplice?"

Cameryn couldn't even ask Colette for her opinion. The blonde charged off from the bench, happy to see the face of a spiky-haired teenager stepping out unharmed. Colette jumped into Lloyd's arms, holding him in a tight embrace. Amidst the two teens showering each other in kisses, Cameryn slowly approached the team. "Sergeant Irving," she called to the goateed man in the middle of the formation, "What exactly happened in there?"

Gil turned to the secretary with a wide grin. "We got him," he stated, proudly pumping his fist, "We thought he would be a redhead, but then Lloyd spotted a comment on the chat room that indicated he had blond hair. We did a search around and found him sitting right across from Lloyd the entire time. That crazy guy sure put on a chase, and he pretty much harassed any mall patrons along the way. But thanks to some hot dog condiments, we put him under control."

Cameryn cocked her eyebrow. What did Gil mean by condiments? Shaking her head once more, she pressed her point further. "The guy we saw in the video had red hair, and actually went into the dojo," she insisted, gently scratching her head, "Surely this cannot be the right guy?"

Gil shrugged. "Right now, we have who we believe is Death Angel," he replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "We can only investigate from here. Maybe the redhead in the video is an acquaintance of this guy, but we can only know via a thorough interrogation. That's why we have to get back to the station ASAP, so we can get the testimonies done."

Before Cameryn could inquire more, Noishe arrived and pulled Gil aside. He reminded the staff sergeant to get Lloyd's testimony on the events as well. "Don't worry about it, Colette," Cameryn could hear Lloyd inform his girlfriend soothingly, "I'll just give a quick testimony, and that's it. I'll be back in an hour or two, and we'll hang out somewhere tonight."

"But what about the red-haired guy that Cameryn and I saw exit the mall just before you came out?" Colette asked, holding Lloyd's hands tightly while staring intently into his chocolate eyes, "He fits the description in the video, so shouldn't the team look into that?"

Lloyd alternated his eyes between Colette and the plainclothes team. "I think Dad will have to figure that out," Lloyd responded, "Still, not too many people can catch a fleeing man with three squeeze bottles of sauces. Thanks to mustard and mayonnaise, we got a murderer."

* * *

><p>"Officers, you've got the wrong guy. I didn't kill all those people!" the one known as Death Angel pleaded. With only a few sets of lights on, and subject to a Cabalina stare-down, it was like a spotlight was cast above the blond man.<p>

Yet for someone who allegedly killed three people using ruthless but cunning methods, Death Angel was surely not as boastful as he claimed to be on the website. Instead of puffing out his chest and spewing all sorts of hateful rhetoric, the blond-haired man was slouched over with watery eyes and spoke in a wavering tone. Why was there such a huge change in attitude?

"Why don't you cut the crap?" Cabalina snapped, slamming her pen down on her notebook, "You think we don't know what you're doing? We have all the posts you made on Lloyd's website right here. You want us to read the content back to you? Start explaining yourself, and tell us what connection you have with these deaths!"

"What deaths? What are you talking about?" Death Angel wailed, waving his arms around in frustration, "I never killed anyone, so why did you arrest me? Seriously, tell me why you guys went after me!" Death Angel ploughed one hand through his blond hair in anxiety while the dim lighting sadistically weakened his mind and resolve.

Just then, a pink-haired officer slipped into the interrogation room. She opened a folder in front of Cabalina and pointed out several areas of interest. This was accompanied by a sudden chill in the room, making Death Angel feel like a specimen being observed under a microscope. Within seconds, Cabalina had a smirk on her face. "So, your name is Peter Cook, is it not?" she asked tauntingly, "Why don't you start by telling us how you came across Lloyd's website?"

"Well, you know, there was this mystery book written by Sergeant Irving, and being a mystery fan, I bought a copy to check it out," Death Angel, now known as Peter Cook, described with a stutter, "I even have a copy with me, so if you want to see it, I'll show it to you."

Cabalina and Presea watched Cook pull out a copy of Gil's book from his bag, flipping through a few pages and pointed out the progress he made through it. But surprising to both women, Gil's signature was nowhere to be found. "You never attended the book signing event?" Presea asked, cocking her eyebrow.

"No, I was busy that day. In fact, my work forced me to be away from that area the whole time!" Cook wailed, putting his novel away before reaching for a notebook similar to the one used by Cabalina. A couple glances through the rapidly flipping pages and the two officers could recognize at once that it was a day planner, detailing specific details on each day's schedule.

However, Presea was persistent, not willing to let even one inconsistency confound them. From her standing position behind the seated Cabalina, she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "I'm a fan of the novel too, and I got Gil's signature on my copy. But even with that in mind, I don't go onto his son's website to actively promote vigilantism or proclaim someone deserves to die," the Ozette native pointed out, "Assuming you're a big enough fan of the novel to seek a Gil Irving fan club, such as the one Lloyd created, what inspired you to take such extreme measures as to deciding who lives and who dies?"

"Look, I only joined the website after doing some searching on the net. I figured that if no fan of Gil Irving created a website yet, I might as well do it. After I found this current one, I signed up using the name Death Angel, and that was it," Cook stated, his shaking hands now leaving the notebook and covering the lower half of his face, "All I know is that the one known as Twin Swordsman is the main administrator, but I didn't know he's Gil Irving's son. I never wanted to harm him, let alone kill him. You've got to believe me, please!"

"We'll believe you when the evidence tells us to, not when you tell us to!" Cabalina retorted, glaring at the suspect. Cook literally shrank into the chair, shivers blasting up his spine. "So what else happened? You feel it's awesome to brag about killing so-and-so with such-and-such a method? It's kind of convenient that you have access to all these deaths so quickly, and can justify the methods being used as well. Do you plan on using the forum as your own soap box?" Cabalina demanded, continuing her scribbling in her notebook.

"Officer, I was just spewing nonsense. Like I said, I didn't know the sergeant's son is the site administrator, so how am I supposed to know how to act?" Cook responded, his volume increasing once more, "Everyone on the net is anonymous anyway, so I can spew as much stuff as I want and not get in trouble with it. You can't be arresting me for that, right?"

"Actually, we can," Presea chimed in, keeping her arms crossed and chilling the already dim and cool room, "There is a crime known as uttering death threats, and the charge only involves having the accused knowingly conveying a threat to kill or harm another person. As every case you mentioned involves a dead person, I say that fits the bill quite well, no?"

"I only got note of those deaths via the news. I had nothing to do with them!" Cook yelled out, throwing up his hands in exasperation, "I was nowhere near those places when the deaths occurred, and I only used them to beef up my own profile. I never killed anybody!"

Cabalina stopped scrawling on her notebook and turned to the folder Presea handed her earlier. Flipping a couple of pages nonchalantly, she purposely slowed down her actions, just to let the ventilation fan's humming noise do a number on Cook first. Finally staring up with a set of piercing eyes, the pony-tailed officer pointed to a highlighted date in the file. "Nine days ago, which was a Friday night, our first death occurred at a campsite. Where were you when that happened, and were you active on the website at all?" Cabalina demanded.

"Nine days ago, nine days ago…" Cook sputtered uncontrollably, his shaking hands grabbing his planner once more, "I was doing an evening shift that week, so I'm sure I was at locations around town. I was nowhere near the campsite, and that's the honest truth." After a few more flips, Cook turned the notebook around and showed the findings to Cabalina. "These are some of the locations I was at that night," he stated, his finger shakily pointing at the lines.

Cabalina took a gander at them before scribbling them down. Even though she couldn't recognize the addresses off the top of her head, she could tell a few were quite close to the airport. She made a mental note to cross-reference that with Gil when Jade handed in his report. If Jade did check the IP addresses for each post Cook wrote on Lloyd's website, then it could at least confirm or deny the suspect's claim that he was there that time. "What about last Monday night or last Tuesday morning?" Cabalina added, "Where were you then?"

Cook flipped through his planner again, frantically searching the pages. "Monday night I was making deliveries to these places," Cook stuttered, his left hand lifting to scratch his head, "I was mainly in this area, which has a furniture store, before going over here…" He pointed to another series of places and times, all of which Cabalina jotted down. "The deliveries went late Monday night, so I stayed home Tuesday morning. I don't think I woke up until close to noon!"

Cabalina then inquired about the day of the third death, demanding Cook to give her his locations for the entire day. "We arrested the third deceased on Wednesday morning, and he was found burned to death on Wednesday night," she described, tapping her pen in frustration, "Since the only place he was at in between those times was the hospital, that means you or the killer must have been nearby. Tell me where you were throughout the whole day."

Cook frantically shot through his whole notebook, pointing out to various places all across town. Cabalina's head was spinning as she penned them in her notebook while trying to form a map of Iselia in her mind. If Cook was telling the truth, then it was possible that he was all over town that day. The killer must have had at least known that Ruffin was hospitalized, and had enough time to observe the hospital building to know when Ruffin escaped. Even so, the killer must have followed Ruffin to the martial arts dojo, saw the gas lamp being taken out, and knew how that lamp worked in order to rig it. If Cook was all over town for the entire time, as his address book indicated, then how likely was it that he was the killer?

Presea managed to beat Cabalina to that point, casting a set of emotionless eyes at the man. "You were all over town when these things occurred, so I assume you were in different places when the posts were made," she analyzed, "May I ask why this is the case? Perhaps you think by logging onto Lloyd's website from different IP addresses, it's harder for us to track?"

"No, that's not the case at all!" Cook replied, shaking his head and waving his hands nervously, "I work for a small logistics company, and I make deliveries to places all across town. I did the evening shift the days of the first two cases you mentioned, and I did an all-day shift on Wednesday because the guy who usually does day shift took the day off. I have my laptop with me to track my orders, but I get onto the internet to read the news or log onto the website whenever I reach a place with internet access. If you don't believe me, then call my clients!"

"The police will investigate accordingly, so we don't need any bluffers like you telling us what to do!" Cabalina snapped again, glaring at Cook menacingly. Putting her notebook away, she leaned back on her chair and stared him down once more. "Even though you claim to have evidence clearing you, we still have many inconsistencies with your story. That's why we will keep you here for forty-eight hours just to help our investigation. We will confiscate your notes and your laptop, and will return them to you once we clear you. Presea, if you please?"

The pink-haired officer nodded, escorting Cook out of the interrogation room. Cabalina grabbed all the evidence Cook left behind, making sure everything was complete before heading back to her unit. As Presea and the suspect disappeared from view, the brunette had a sudden sinking feeling in her gut. Much as she, and probably everyone else in the unit, would hate to admit it, but it truly felt like they might not have the actual killer. If the one called Death Angel was not the one to commit all the murders, then who did?

* * *

><p>"Thanks for doing the transcription for me, Jade," Gil stated appreciatively to the SIU technology and IP expert seated across from Gil's desk. Monday morning brought a whole new set of headaches for Gil, as the ethics commissioner found out about yesterday's shenanigans at the mall. The watchdog was far from impressed by their actions, and threatened Noishe with a report to the police chief. Claiming their technique provided excessive distress to the public, the ethics commissioner was adamant that the DA couldn't lay any charges on Peter Cook without the accused retaliating. Moreover, he claimed Gil's method to stop the suspect by spraying hot dog condiments on him amounted to public humiliation, and threatened to place sanctions on the unit if the charges were not dropped.<p>

"The political situation isn't making things easy right now," Gil added, grabbing his own documents to complement Jade's. Despite being in the safety of his own office, Gil felt anything but comfortable, almost like the walls were caving in on him. "Noishe is forced to attend the ethics commissioner's press conference to explain yesterday's mission." With Cook getting his walking papers soon, the only thing Gil could do was to go over the IP addresses on that day and the ones Jade provided from the searches he did on past posts. If there was something indicating suspicious activity, then maybe they still had a chance.

"So starting with last weekend, the suspect claimed he was at the airport?" Jade asked, scanning through his IP address map. On the day of the first death, Cook made several posts to the website. Jade located them on his map and highlighted each point in red. "A couple of posts were made from an IP address near the airport, but also along these locations." Jade pointed them out to Gil, who jotted them down on his notes. While the team still hadn't interviewed all of his clients, Gil was certain that Cook was telling the truth. According to Cook's testimony, he was near the airport, most likely making deliveries to the hotels nearby. That meant he would not have enough time to make it to the campsite, let alone observing the sign and cutting the chains.

"And on the day of the second death, the one at the university, I highlighted those IP addresses in green," Jade continued, pointing to various addresses. Gil glanced at Cook's planner and saw an address to the same mall they were at yesterday. From Cook's list on that day, indeed there was a furniture store in that mall, meaning he was likely telling the truth as well. "He didn't make any posts until Tuesday afternoon, also from the same mall," Jade added, pointing to the green dots at his map, "This includes the first comment on the campsite death."

"And he also made a few comments using IP addresses near the industrial areas, right?" Gil asked, flipping to the next page. Apparently, Cook made various posts after the comment on the first death, and Gil was intent on seeing them all. "Lloyd made a rebuttal to him the next evening, but I don't think he responded until the next day. What IP address did he use then?"

"Wednesday's IP addresses are highlighted in blue," Jade replied, showing the map on posts made on the day of the third death, "This one has the most variety, coming from all over the city." There were IP addresses from the university, commercial buildings downtown, and industrial sites. Gil paid particular attention to the one with the time coinciding with the post made in rebuttal to Lloyd's. That was when the third death was reported on the website, thanks to a post from another user named Pirate King. Was there a hint hiding within this huge mess?

"I have yet to go through the stuff in the chat room, but I recall you saying you want to look into someone in particular?" Jade asked, replacing his IP address map with a new set of documents, "You said someone interrupted the chat between Death Angel and your son?"

Gil nodded. "This Pirate King character came into the chat room right in the middle of their talk. They supposedly sent an email to Death Angel and asked him to read it while Lloyd was still talking to him," Gil pointed out, highlighting Pirate King's limited lines on the chat room transcript, "Maybe Pirate King has a hint that may lead us closer to finding out what Cook is all about, assuming my team can call up all his clients first." With Noishe being hounded by the ethics commissioner, Gil was in charge of the unit. The first thing he did was split up the clients by day, asking each officer to grab one set and called them all.

"I'll look into this Pirate King character," Jade decided, packing up his notes into a folder, "I'll also look into the emails to see what Cook and Pirate King discussed privately. By the way, is Presea here today?" he asked, getting out of his seat.

"She's working today, but she's just not at the station. I sent Presea to the University of Iselia's Department of History and Archaeology to pick up the visitor's log, just to check up on another person who may be a suspect," Gil explained, organizing his papers into a neat pile, "I also asked her to go back to the mall we were in yesterday. We're hoping mall security is willing to give us a copy of their tapes recording yesterday's chase. I think watching that may be useful."

Without further ado, Jade stepped out of Gil's office, heading back to his unit. Gil stayed put for another few seconds, shuffling his notes around once more before heading out. Cameryn told him that she wanted a date in which Frank Warner could bring in his evidence, and Gil still had not gotten back to her on that yet. Secretly, the former undercover police officer could only hope his unit secretary would not blow another fuse chastising him for leaving things that late.

After setting the notes on the IP addresses aside, Gil stepped out of his office to arrange a time with Cameryn. However, he barely got two steps into the main office when he heard the secretary's voice echo off the walls. "I'm sorry, but the sergeant's office is off limits. I can't let you in unless you have authorization from him or Captain Noishe," Cameryn insisted.

"Come on, don't you know I'm friends with the sergeant?" a flirtatious male voice replied, "Or are you demanding that I stay here because you're too infatuated with my good looks? Come on, you don't have to be shy. You know you got a crush on me!"

Gil could only roll his eyes, instantly recognizing that distinctive tone and womanizing language. Shaking his head, he stepped into the main office just in time to see a tall, red-haired man posing dramatically before the strawberry blond secretary. All the officers in the unit could only look on in irritation as Cameryn tried her hardest not to punch the visitor. Marching up and standing nonchalantly beside Cameryn's desk, he confronted the man. "How can I help you?"

The redhead glanced up in time to see Gil's smirking face. "Zelos Wilder, how are you, my friend?" Gil greeted, extending his hand to another former mole. Zelos was a man who had been undercover for the Tethe'alla military, working in Cruxis during Gil's later years in the extremist organization. While a case of mistaken identity caused them to shoot each other, they finally realized each other's true roles, and even worked together to bring down Cruxis. They hadn't seen each other since last summer in Altamira, but it was a surprise reunion indeed.

"Hey Gil, how are you doing?" Zelos responded, shaking Gil's hand firmly. Today, Zelos had on a fuchsia vest over a beige T-shirt, white denim jeans, and dark fingerless gloves. Had it not been his attempt to seduce Cameryn, Gil might have mistaken him for what he thought Death Angel originally looked like. "I was just telling your lovely lady here not to be afraid of a pretty face like me. She was determined not to let me in!" Zelos exclaimed in fake-shock.

Cameryn scowled, shooting Zelos a dark look. "He's a tall stranger with shoulder-length red hair, which matches the description we used to have for Death Angel yesterday. I can't just let someone like that into the office. What will happen if he really is the suspect?" she spat, "Besides, I saw someone like that leave the mall yesterday, right before you guys came out!"

Before Gil could respond, Zelos grinned and posed once more. "I was at a downtown mall yesterday, and I saw police officers running back and forth. I got out of there just before things got out of hand, so you must have seen me walk out," he described, bearing a toothy grin, "I told you so, didn't I? You find me so mesmerizing that you can't get me out of your mind!"

Sensing Cameryn was about to commit murder on Zelos right here in the unit, Gil sought to break up the scene before things got worse. "Why don't we discuss that in my office? Besides, if you were at the mall yesterday, then I may have some questions for you. Shall we go?" the goateed man suggested, leading the winking and snap-pointing Zelos away from Cameryn.

The strawberry blond secretary could only hiss in exasperation as the red-haired visitor was escorted away. Before her, the officers were now back in the cubicles, having gotten over that unwanted distraction. Even so, she made sure to get her point across to Gil. "We still have Mr. Warner to deal with," she called, "Do you have a time ready for him to come in?"

"I'll deal with that once I'm done with Zelos. Thanks for reminding me!" Gil responded before slamming his door shut. The unpleasant experience was still fresh in her mind, and it was only made more disagreeable with her staff sergeant delaying once more. Cameryn could do nothing more than let out a frustrated cry, echoing through the unit and even to the halls outside.

* * *

><p>So there you go, another unusual sequence in the story. How about Gil taking down a suspect using ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise? The one known as Death Angel may not be the killer, so who do you think the culprit is now? And to be more inclusive of TOS canon characters, Zelos now makes his debut in this chapter. What trouble will everyone's favourite flirt get into now? Drop by next time to find out!<p> 


	8. Still Running into Dead People

I want to give big thanks to **Wavebreeze**, **AccessBlade**, and **Mandrakefunnyjuice** for reviewing the last chapter. So we got the big revelation that Death Angel may not be the actual killer. Well, in this chapter, there will be yet another big twist, one that will have all of you talking. Look for it as Zelos gets involved in the investigation, Jade and Gil (and later on Presea) find shocking details from the mall chase, and Luke fon Fabre gets a mention in this story (courtesy of a fan's request).

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. **AccessBlade** owns Cameryn Lachance. **Fenrir of the Shadows** owns Azul Kharlan. **No Pain No Gain** owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.

* * *

><p>"So Zelos, what brings you to Iselia?" Gil asked, taking a seat back behind his desk. His fellow mole sat across from him, his hands clasped in front while shooting the goofy grin back. "Don't tell me you came all the way here just to meet girls," Gil snickered.<p>

Zelos shook his head. "I'm here as a representative of the Tethe'alla military. We want to harmonize some new intelligence gathering procedures with Sylvarant. I'll be discussing this with people from the Triet military base all afternoon. Since I have nothing to do until then, I thought I'd drop by your office to see how you're doing," he explained, his eyes soaking in the surroundings. It was the first time he visited Gil since Gil's promotion, and Zelos was taking every chance to check out his friend's new room. "I just didn't expect you'd be doing some crazy police chase at a shopping mall. Seriously, what happened?" Zelos asked.

Gil winced. "I'm not supposed to reveal too much, but with the ethics commissioner making the case public, I'll tell you some stuff." Gil went on to describe his latest novel, and murders were committed using the very techniques he included in the book. Gil also mentioned that the mall operation was to trap the suspect, who had been a loyal follower of Gil's through Lloyd's website. "It ended with the unfortunate incident that you witnessed," Gil concluded.

Zelos pursed his lips and nodded his head, not sure what to make of it. "I was at the food court grabbing a bite to eat when that maniac charged in, tripped over a couple of times, and then threw a bowl of food at an officer," Zelos recanted, his head slightly swaying along to the details, "I was on the opposite side of the hot dog place, and saw a couple of officers taking in their injured colleague. Seeing things were getting nasty, I decided to skip food and got out of there."

Hearing Zelos' account, Gil immediately whipped out his notebook and snatched his pen. "You don't mind me writing some of this stuff down, right?" Gil asked, scribbling down some details, "I think this may go towards building our case, one way or another."

When Zelos insisted he didn't mind, Gil asked the redhead to continue his account of things. "I was halfway to the exit when I heard the suspect rumbling through," Zelos recalled, his eyes tilting around almost melodramatically, "That was the blond guy with the laptop bag across his torso, right? When I saw him rushing in like a tractor trailer, I just dove to the side and hoped he didn't hit me. I almost hit a guy using the public computer just to avoid that freak!"

Gil cocked an eyebrow. The public computers were an area of interest before Lloyd spotted their suspect. When the team was chasing Peter Cook through the mall, what was going on at the computers then? "Can you describe what the guy you ran into look like?" Gil asked, pausing his writing and lifting his head from the notebook.

Zelos scratched his head. "He actually looks kind of like me, although nowhere near as handsome," he half-stated and half-boasted, "He's around my height, although not nearly as well built. He has shoulder-length red hair, but nowhere near as neat as mine. He also wore similar clothes, with a purple vest and cargo pants. But of course, my fashion sense is way better than his, and I never walk around in those rags. Seriously, with our similar appearances, I think it's best he takes some looks advice from me!" Zelos ended with a puff of his chest.

Gil chuckled. If there was one constant with Zelos, it was his narcissistic streak, which was something unsuitable for those with weak stomachs. When they were still undercover, Zelos used flirtatious words as code language to keep in touch with his superiors. Gil had to seriously block out those words, just to avoid losing his meals every time they were uttered. "So after running into him, what did you do afterwards?" Gil queried.

"I just made sure he was okay, and then I left the mall. I didn't really notice anything unusual until I saw a van pull up to the entrance," Zelos replied, rubbing his face gently, "I did notice there were two ladies rushing my way, one of whom I recognized as Colette. That would be your son's girlfriend, correct? Other than that, I can't say there was anything suspicious."

Gil bit his lower lip as he finished his notes. With Zelos' account of things, it could be a good enough defence against Cook should he file a complaint against Gil's unit. It might show that Cook was a threat to the public, meaning the ethics commissioner had to back off. "Can I count on you to come in if my team or I have other questions?" Gil asked, closing his notebook.

When Zelos didn't object, Gil decided not to keep his friend any longer. "You should probably get some lunch before your meeting with the military officials," he suggested as the two former moles got out of their seats, "By the way, how is Seles doing? Is she in school now?"

Zelos nodded. "Seles is finishing her sophomore year at Meltokio," he answered. Seles was Zelos' younger sister who was kidnapped by Cruxis, which ended up being the trigger event in getting Zelos to go undercover. It was an eerie similarity between him and Gil, who went undercover due to the death of his wife. It was this steadfast dedication towards their families that allowed Gil and Zelos to bond so well, even after their undercover missions were over. "She told me it's kind of hard to pick up on school again after spending three years as a Cruxis prisoner, but overall she's managing it," he commented, stepping out of the office.

Gil nodded. Shaking his friend's hand one more time, he led Zelos out of the unit and into the foyer. He watched from the top of the stairs as Zelos strode off, his confident swagger oozing out of his body with every step. Gil made sure Zelos disappeared from view before turning back to his unit, which had been awfully quiet for the day. The mood had been sombre since the ethics commissioner demanded to have Noishe attend his press conference, and there were still no signs of their captain returning yet. With their investigation hanging in the balance, there wasn't much more they could do other than scouring through what they already have.

Gil's eyes landed on the unit secretary, who slowly pushed her head back. Her eyelids were squeezed shut but pointed to the ceiling, a result of the immense stress and anxiety that resonated through the unit. "Cameryn," Gil gently called, taking a seat across from her desk, "Do we still want to make arrangements regarding Frank Warner?"

Cameryn tiled her head back to Gil, staring at Gil through her glasses with a set of fatigued eyes. "Do you have a day and time in mind?" she asked, reaching for the day planner.

"I'm thinking about Wednesday, just to avoid the ethics commissioner," Gil replied, leaning back slightly and tapping his chin. With the press conference being held today, the ethics commissioner would probably demand more answers tomorrow. To make sure Warner didn't have to see that, Gil decided to book one day after. "Just tell Frank Warner to drop by our office at a time that's free for him. I prefer late afternoon, but it's up to him to confirm."

Cameryn nodded. Jotting down the date on her planner, she then turned to the phone and dialled Warner's cellphone number. "By the way, the DA office just called. They told us Peter Cook has been released and all charges are dropped," she informed Gil, waiting for the call to connect, "I think we're pretty much back to the beginning."

Gil cursed under his breath. Even though Lloyd's website was still a source, it was a blow to have someone who might have contact with the real killer go free. With the DA releasing their suspect before more interrogation could be done, all of Cook's property must be surrendered back to him. Where would they turn to for leads now, with Cook back into the public?

Just then, Presea jolted everyone like a lightning strike with her return to the unit. "I got the visitor's log from the university," the Ozette native announced, waving a folder around in her right hand, "This should see if Frank Warner was part of the renovation crew that was there."

Gil excused himself from Cameryn's desk, allowing the secretary to leave a message on Warner's cellphone. Gil took the folder from Presea and skimmed through it before giving it to Cameryn for logging in. "I also got tapes, Gil," Presea informed the goateed man, showing him the objects in her left hand, "These are the security videos from the mall yesterday, highlighting the chase sequence with several cameras. Let's see if we can pick up some clues from this."

* * *

><p>"The plainclothes unit has made a mess of this investigation, causing countless innocent bystanders to be harmed in that irresponsible chase through the mall," a bespectacled man haughtily pointed out on television. Lloyd Irving was paying attention to the evening news while waiting for his father to come home. Colette, as usual, made another visit to Lloyd's house after school, and was waiting for her father to pick her up. But this time, instead of cheerily doing their homework, both teens were anxiously glued to the evening news.<p>

"As the ethics commissioner, I find the leader of this operation, Captain Arthur Noishe, to have exercised poor judgment and used questionable tactics in apprehending our suspect," the smug man continued. From the couch, Lloyd could feel his fingerless-gloved hands squeeze into fists, like every word was a dagger directed at his heart. After all, he was part of the mission to flush out Death Angel as well. How could his efforts be dismissed that quickly?

Lloyd and Colette watched for a few more minutes, hearing the ethics commissioner describe the suspect's background as a humble deliveryman working for a small logistics firm, all the while making it sound like the police went out of their way to harass him. "Due to the excessive risk placed upon the mall patrons, plus the public humiliation the suspect went through when he was apprehended, I have no choice but to recommend all charges be dropped for now. Until the investigation produces clearer evidence, Mr. Peter Cook will be a free man."

Lloyd could barely react to the shocking announcement when the door leading to the garage slammed shut. Both teens turned in time to see a tired goateed man trudge into the house, hanging his jacket in the closet and plopping down on a chair at the dining room table. "Are you really paying attention to that guy?" Gil muttered, weakly gesturing at the television screen.

"Dad, they just dropped all the charges on the suspect! All that work setting up the ID system, trying to get him to talk to me in a chat room, and even the chase afterwards, now it won't count because some bureaucrat said he doesn't like your methods!" Lloyd exclaimed, shooting out of his seat. He hurried to his father while waving his arms like a bird. "How can you take such a nonchalant approach towards this, and let that guy go free?" the teen demanded.

Gil turned to face his son with a helpless expression. Colette followed Lloyd into the dining room, her eyebrows creased in worry. "Cameryn and I were outside the mall, but even then we felt uneasy about what was going on inside," she commented, clinging onto Lloyd's left arm, "I don't know how you narrowed the search, but surely you guys didn't make a mistake. Is that suspect who posed as Death Angel really the wrong guy?"

Gil shrugged. Right now, there were too many issues in play, and they were no closer to getting to the truth. After analyzing Jade's IP maps and hearing from Zelos' testimony, there seemed to be someone other than Cook who might have known something about the deaths. "The only new things we can go with are the visitor logs from your dad's department at the university," Gil stated, pointing at the blond girl, "and the security tapes from the mall. I hope to take a look at both of those tomorrow, if nothing drastic happens then."

Before the teens could say more, the doorbell sounded off. Gil strode over to take a peek before turning back to the teens. "Colette, your father is here," he called, unlocking the front door, "Do you have your stuff with you, or is it upstairs in Lloyd's room?"

"It's upstairs. I'll get it right now," Colette responded, bounding up the stairs with Lloyd. Even though they were watching television earlier, Lloyd invited Colette to his room when they first arrived. While they retrieved her belongings, Gil held the door for the blond-haired archaeology professor, who also heard the news about the charges being dropped on his car radio. Before long, Frank's expression was similar to Colette's earlier one as Gil filled him in.

"So are you out of leads now, or is there anything else you can turn to?" Frank asked, still finding Gil's details hard to digest. How could a dangerous chase through a mall, including hot soup and hot dog condiments being tossed about, end with the suspect being released? "Don't tell me the killer is still on the loose, Gil. What are we going to do then?"

"Well, the ethics commissioner got one thing right," Gil conceded, his arms slightly open and his shoulders helplessly shrugging, "Everyone in Iselia, as well as the towns and villages nearby, are very concerned about this case. If the released suspect truly isn't related to all those deaths, then it means we'll have to focus extra hard just to get it right."

Frank winced just as a chilly breeze whisked through the open door. Lloyd was directly involved, and Colette was outside that mall when it happened. With the killer still at large, it would be something that would keep him up at night. "I know I can't help you much in this case, but you don't mind if I give you a small tip, do you?" he suggested, gently rubbing his arms.

When Gil didn't object, Frank took a deep breath before he began. "When Raine and I do our research, we focus on a certain hypothesis. Sometimes we get closer to the truth, but other times it's a dead end," he described, slowly spitting out each word, "When something doesn't work, Raine and I usually go back to see what our original idea missed. Often there are hints telling us if we're in the right path. Maybe you can try the same and go through the clues again?"

Gil tilted his head back and forth like a metronome. While he accepted Frank's idea, he also had no clue where to start. There was so much evidence from each death, some of which seemed almost illogical. While he could still go through all of it again, he had a feeling it might only stall the case. "I'll tell my team to look into it, but right now I'm not sure if that's the way to go," he replied, his gut churning like a cement mixer, "Either way, thank you for the advice. I'm sure it'll come in handy once we sort through a few of these messes."

Just then, Colette trotted down the stairs and to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Lloyd," she called to her boyfriend, who now positioned himself behind Gil. She leaned closer to her father, who in turn wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Despite all the crazy shenanigans going on with the case, it was good to know that Colette's optimism had not dampened much.

Gil watched Frank and Colette drive off before slowly closing the front door. Ambling back to the kitchen, Gil watched Lloyd pull out ingredients for tonight's dinner from the fridge. The spiky-haired teen laid the items on the counter while turning to his father to ask, "Is there perhaps another clue in the investigation that you may have missed, as Dr. Brunel kind of pointed out earlier? Maybe you should look through some of the evidence again."

Gil sighed once more. The whole case had him going around in circles, and his team was also getting stressed out. "The only saving grace is that Cameryn is planning a meeting with a guy who has evidence clearing him," Gil explained, his eyes emotionless and almost dipping, "We've interviewed him once already, and we found him to be a bit uncooperative. Let's hope he won't be like that with Cameryn, and can actually provide stuff that helps the case proceed."

* * *

><p>"And we've reached your destination, Sir," the taxi driver informed the red-haired client at the back seat of his cab. It had been a taxing day for Zelos Wilder. After meeting with military officials through the afternoon, he stayed a while to entertain requests by strategists from both nations asking about his time undercover. Some members from Sylvarant knew of Gil's exploits as well, meaning Zelos was asked to comment on working together with his policeman friend. Now, after a quick dinner downtown, he could finally go back to his hotel for a relaxing evening.<p>

"How much do I owe you?" the redhead asked the driver, fishing out his wallet. The hotel Zelos was staying in was just outside the downtown core, with a large front door being serviced by at least two valets. Above that, nearly twenty floors of rooms towered over the street, most of them brightly lit and filled with guests, both recreational and commercial. It was one of Iselia's larger accommodations outside of the tourist area near the airport.

However, neither Zelos nor the taxi driver could say another word before the whole building before them flickered. Both men stared at the tall building, which turned completely dark. Both men gazed out the cab windows to see a sense of chaos descending onto the streets. "Is there a power failure?" Zelos muttered, glancing around the blackened tower.

"I don't think so," the driver murmured, pointing to the streetlights and other buildings. Indeed, the surrounding areas were still quite lit, meaning there was something wrong inside the very building Zelos was staying in. Both men in the cab took a gander at the hotel once more, seeing the two valets wandering around and looking at each other in puzzlement. With the automatic doors now jammed, there was no way for them, or any other guests, to get inside.

"Looks like I'll have to go in from a back door or something," Zelos hissed, paying the cab driver the stated amount, "I'm really not in the mood for this." Thanking the driver once more, the former military mole stepped out of the vehicle and onto the sidewalk. Zelos stared at the helpless valets, shaking his head at their confusion before marching off around the building. Being undercover for years meant Zelos was used to going into alleys and through back doors, and he knew there had to be an area where staff could enter. If he could at least get inside the hotel, then maybe he would not have to wait in the streets for the power to resume.

Zelos tugged on his jacket as he entered the alley to the left of the building, away from the corner of the intersection. A brisk wind whistled through the narrow passage, tugging at the redhead's clothing. If he remembered correctly, this alley was wide enough for trucks and other delivery vehicles to drive through. Assuming there was a delivery bay at the hotel, then that meant there was a possible entrance. "All I have to do is find it and get in," Zelos muttered to himself, "Not too hard to do, with the talented Zelos Wilder on the task."

Zelos took a peek at every nook and cranny, hoping to find some type of back door leading into the hotel. His feet clopped against the cold asphalt pavement, splashing into the occasional puddle while his eyes darted back and forth. He doubted he was in the alley for more than a few minutes, but it felt like hours. He slipped in and out of the shadows like a mouse in the grass. Beside him, the dark hotel leaned itself on Zelos, pushing him further into the shadows and confounding his every effort to find a way in. If hearing Gil's story about the wild police chase through the mall yesterday wasn't unnerving enough, now he had to go through this crazy navigation through an alley. Why did it feel like the world just wouldn't give him a break?

Then, in the distance, Zelos spotted a lit area. Despite the dim lighting, he could see a delivery van of sorts. Inching closer, Zelos noticed a tall individual stepping out of the van and hustling away. Surprisingly, this individual did not enter the building, opting to slip to the side and back out to the main street through the other alley. Cocking an eyebrow, Zelos crept closer to the van, trying to make sense of this strange scene. Why would the driver of this delivery van leave the alley instead of making the usual deliveries to the hotel?

Zelos slipped past the parked van and into the other alley, where the mysterious figure went into. The Meltokio native pressed his back against the wall, feeling the cold concrete freeze up his spine. Zelos craned his neck to observe the shadowy figure heading for the main road, where the streetlights could illuminate some parts of his body. Like Zelos, the figure was a man was close to six feet tall, and had strands of red hair sticking out from under his hoodie. Seeing the stranger, Zelos somehow had the feeling that he ran into this mysterious man before.

Zelos observed the individual for a few more minutes before stepping back into the alley. The man wasn't doing anything illegal, but it unnerved Zelos in that he would climb into a van parked in the alley, only to wander off into the night. Perhaps that delivery van was his, and he just went off to grab something to eat? Whatever the case, the sooner Zelos got back into the hotel, the better. It didn't help that the power was still unrestored, meaning the former military mole had nothing more than his sense of touch to work with in navigating back.

What greeted Zelos when he returned to the delivery van was an unexpected sight. A different man had entered the vehicle, taking a swig of water from a bottle. Then suddenly, the new man convulsed uncontrollably, rumbling in his seat and shaking the large vehicle nonstop. Sensing that the man was in danger, Zelos rushed to the van and pulled at the door. "Hey, are you alright in there?" he shouted, pounding on the glass, "Can you hear me?"

Zelos struggled to pull the door open as the man inside bounced and flopped around involuntarily, making it difficult for the redhead to reach him. Despite the dimness, Zelos could see the man had blond hair, wore a denim coat, and had several boxes and packages in the back. It finally hit Zelos that this was probably the true deliveryman, and whoever that he saw entering the van most likely did this to him. "Hey, hang tight! I'll get you out right now!" Zelos yelled.

Zelos frantically pulled on the door handle, hoping to yank the door open. The blond driver now nearly collapsed against the side. "Stay awake, buddy," Zelos murmured, hearing the groans and creaks of the old door echo through the alley. Taking a deep breath, he tugged with all his might, finally forcing the door open and getting to the convulsing man.

Unfortunately for Zelos, it was too late. The driver of the van collapsed in the seat, rolling out of the vehicle and lying in an unconscious mass at Zelos' feet. "Stay with me, stay with me," Zelos called fearfully, figuring that the water bottle the driver drank from might have been the cause. Whipping out his cellphone, Zelos quickly dialled 9-1-1.

Then, without warning, the driver collapsed once more, this time staying completely motionless on the ground. "Oh no, this can't be happening!" Zelos exclaimed, grabbing the side of the blond man's neck. There was no pulse to speak of, causing all blood to drain out of Zelos' face. Last summer, something similar happened when he was on vacation with Gil in Altamira. The victim was a family friend of his, and he found her dead at the bottom of the staircase. It almost got Zelos charged for her death, and the same thing was happening again right before him. Zelos could barely react when the operator greeted him, asking him what the emergency was. "Why am I still running into dead people?" Zelos ranted, his own body now shaking.

* * *

><p>"You just can't seem to get out of trouble, can you, Zelos?" Gil asked, his tone a mix of sarcasm and concern. With the forensics team taping off the van and the dead body, Gil could only pull his friend aside for the interrogation. It was quite a shock for both men, as Zelos never expected himself to see another dead body. Hovering over the crime scene, Gil never expected to see another death happening, especially so soon after the mall incident.<p>

Zelos wiped his brow with the back of his open-fingered glove, the traumatizing event and the initial testimony that he gave Gil still fresh in his mind. The flashing lights from the police cars against the dim building placed Zelos in the spotlight, making him small and weak. "He was dead by the time I got to him, so I couldn't rescue him," Zelos emphasized, wringing his hands in worry, "You won't arrest me like the Altamira Police Department did, right?"

Before Gil could respond, the forensics team lead beckoned the goateed staff sergeant over. Flipping open the deceased's wallet, he showed Gil the man's ID, which drained the colour out of Gil's face. "Peter Cook?" Gil eked out, his throat tightening and becoming coarser than the desert sand, "The same guy we chased down at the mall?"

Gil watched the forensics team placed the deceased onto a stretcher and into the coroner's vehicle. Gil's heart sank to his feet, wondering how the one they believed to be the main culprit met such an untimely end. As a cool breeze howled through the alley, Gil pondered what went wrong. With the person who most likely had passes with the killer dead, where did they go next?

Silently, Gil turned back to Zelos. Gil's body was hard as cement, his every move made with great difficulty. "Can you repeat again what happened when you approached the delivery van? You said you saw someone climb out of the van, leave through the other alley, and then the deceased boarded. Did you notice anything unusual happening at that time?" Gil asked.

"All I know is that the mysterious guy came out from the hotel and went into the van. I couldn't see what he did inside the van, but he did leave after less than a minute," Zelos reported, his eyes tilting back and forth between Gil and the alley, "After exiting the van, I saw him head out the other alley, which I found a bit weird, so I followed him for a while."

Gil pursed his lips, shakily flipping through his notebook. Despite his partially petrified body, Gil found something unusual about the mysterious individual, and was convinced a hint might be found there. "Given how dark it is, with the power failure at the hotel," Gil suggested, gesturing at the now-lit building, "I wonder how well you could have seen that person's face."

"I didn't see it very well," Zelos replied, pointing back to his observations that the man was wearing a hoodie and had his face away from the former military mole the whole time. It struck Gil as an eerie similarity to a certain other death. After all, Ruffin's demise at the martial arts dojo also featured an individual with that description. For the longest time, Gil and his team thought that person was Death Angel. But with the actual Death Angel now dead, and a similar person showing up at this crime scene, did Gil and his team miss something along the way?

Nonetheless, Gil steered his friend back on topic. "So after you chased him for a while, you then went back to the van, right?" Gil asked. The Iselia native slowly rotated his shoulders and shifted his weight between his legs, trying to stay loose amidst the glum and sombre mood, "You saw the deceased taking a sip from his water bottle before the convulsions began?"

Zelos nodded. "I don't know if there's something inside the bottle or something, but it definitely seemed unusual," he pointed out, again gesturing at the van in the back, "I wouldn't rule out the stranger snooping around earlier putting something in the drink."

Gil waved his hand. "Let's not jump to conclusions yet, Zelos. The forensics team must chemically analyze the water first. If there is something in there, I will let everyone know in due time," he assured the redhead, flipping through his notes and adding comments here and there.

Zelos tapped his right finger on his chin and his right foot on the ground. Glancing at the hotel before him, he found it very unusual that it was the only building in the block to lose power. What's more, the hotel lost power right in the middle of the death, which would have made it very difficult for anyone to detect. Had Zelos not pulled up in the taxi cab at that very moment, everything would have gone unnoticed. Wasn't that almost too coincidental? "Maybe check into what's going on with the power in the hotel," Zelos suggested, his eyes peeled for Gil's notes, "I think the outage and the death may be connected in some way."

Gil pursed his lips. While it might be too soon to connect the events, he felt it was still worth it to take a look. Glancing back at Zelos, he made one more request. "Given what you said, it's likely this killer is still on the loose. Your eyewitness account may really help us if who you saw is connected to the other deaths. If I ask you to help us again, when will you be available?"

Zelos was noncommittal, claiming he had to check his schedule first. Since it meant going back into the hotel, Gil decided to go in with his friend, hoping to discuss the power issue with the front desk. If the former military mole was right, then something weird was going on in that hotel, and it might just put Gil on a new track in investigating this latest death.

* * *

><p>"So where does this leave us, with the most likely person of interest dead?" Gil's team discussed amongst themselves in the quiet unit. It was the next morning, and the group was still stunned from knowing Peter Cook also became a homicide victim. With their only potential lead to the killer gone, and the ethics commissioner refusing to back down, morale was low. Now, even going through old evidence from the previous deaths was becoming an irritating task.<p>

"So Cameryn, other than the forensics report stating there were strange substances in the water, there's no other lead available?" Azul asked the secretary, who received the findings from the lab analysts earlier this morning. The elf's hair was usually unruly, but today it felt like his scalp was the victim to a hurricane, with strands blasted all over and some draping over his face.

"I'm afraid so," Cameryn replied, her shoulders slumped as well. The report indicated the presence of cyanide in concentrations lethal for a human in the water. The chemical composition also suggested it was not a natural source, given cyanide was rare in this part of the world. Even a small concentration in Iselia's water supply was unusual, let alone having astronomical levels in a deliveryman's water. "It points to what's obvious, but nothing more," Cameryn commented.

"Darn it! Another lead wasted, just like that!" Cabalina vented, slamming her hands on the table. The fiery brunette teetered on the brink of insanity right now, with her arms shaking and her eyes sharp enough to pierce through metal. "It feels like no matter how hard we try, this killer is always one step ahead of us. How do they keep escaping?" she ranted.

Amid the tension-filled room, a certain blond half-elf made a gentle proposition. "I know we aren't doing well with hints right now, but we can't give up that easily," Oni stated, his blue eyes flickering in worry, "If we follow the hints and keep going where the evidence tells us, we will solve this case. Didn't Sergeant Irving tell us what a famous fictional detective's approach was to solving crime? Once we eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. I'm sure that's how he wants us to approach this case."

Azul chuckled at his trainee. Oni's comments had an almost child-like innocence to it. They were refreshing to hear, but most likely unrealistic to achieve. "No offence, but this isn't some novel," Azul replied, glancing at Oni with yearning but helpless eyes, "If things in real life are as smooth as a novel's events, we won't be doing this job in the first place."

"But what if we haven't eliminated all the impossible choices yet?" Oni challenged, his back straightening while the office lights twinkled off his blue eyes and loop earrings, "I may not have read Sergeant Irving's book, but I read enough mystery stories to know there is always a clue hiding somewhere. What if the clue allows us to eliminate more impossible choices, leaving us with a bunch of improbable, but still likely causes? It's still worth a shot to look at, isn't it?"

"We've combed through all the possible records from the previous three deaths, and there is nothing there that we haven't considered," Cabalina retorted, throwing up her hands in defeat, "What other clue is there that we haven't thought of yet? If you know, then please tell us, Oni."

From her desk at the back of the unit, Cameryn chimed in as well. "I've logged in all the evidence, and I skimmed through some of it too," she insisted, pushing her glasses back on her nose, "This killer made moves that no ordinary person could make. I want to say we still have a chance against them, but with only what we have right now, it's just not our case."

Just then, the only person not to have spoken raised her point. "I agree that we have no case with the current evidence, but what if there is evidence not in our possession that may be of use?" Presea suggested, slowly getting up from her desk. Despite her petite frame, she marched to the centre of the unit with confidence and flair, involuntarily capturing everybody's attention. "Cameryn has been trying to get Frank Warner to hand over his evidence, but until he does we don't know his full story. Likewise, Gil told us Jade is still analyzing the IP addresses from the mall operation, including the lines written by Pirate King. Maybe there's something from that excerpt we haven't considered yet? And don't forget the tapes from the mall as well," she added.

Presea whipped out a folder, flipping through the pages and gesturing at her colleagues to join her. "This is the visitor's log from the University of Iselia, which I got yesterday when the ethics commissioner was with Noishe," the pink-haired officer explained, pointing to several lines of interest, "Frank Warner was present on the day of the second death. The renovation team recruited him to help out after he made deliveries to them. It means he might have come across the actual killer. Isn't that a new lead we can go after in a new interrogation with him, assuming Cameryn can get him back into the unit?"

When the unit glanced at each other, looking for possibilities, Presea flipped the page again. "If my guess about Frank Warner is true, then it's likely him and Peter Cook are similar in that they both travel around town a lot," she continued describing amidst the team looking on, "The third death, the one by the martial arts dojo, requires someone to track the deceased from the hospital to the dojo. We don't know if Warner knew about Kent Ruffin's situation, so it may not be a huge lead. But what if Warner may have been doing supply runs that night, and went near the hospital or the dojo? Surely this is another possible lead to ask Warner about, right?"

Excited murmurs now resonated through the unit, the team feeling rejuvenated with the Ozette native's revelations. "Just out of curiosity, how did you manage to figure those out when none of us did?" Oni asked, "Is it because of the fictional detective Sergeant Irving mentioned?"

Presea smiled and closed the folder. Even though Oni towered over her by nearly a foot, it was obvious that the shorter being was the one in the lead here. "Part of my analysis is due to the fictional detective's inspiration, but the other part is due to Gil's own novel," she declared to the team, "I'm almost done the book now, and the main suspect in the novel has just been eliminated as a culprit. But the odd thing is, even though he was eliminated, Gil never killed off this character. But in real life, the main suspect, Peter Cook, was killed off by another person. This means Peter Cook himself may not be the killer, and that whoever is doing the actual killing had to come up with a brand new technique to commit this act."

Eyes grew wide at Presea's announcement. Was the killer forced to go off course all because there was no more killing in the book? "You were with me when Peter Cook was being interrogated," Cabalina stated, crossing her arms and furrowing her brows in thought, "I think you'll agree with me when I say Cook is unlikely to be the killer. His schedule doesn't match the times of death for the three victims, and I believe Sarge also pointed out that Death Angel's posts used IP addresses consistent with Cook's stated locations. In that case, your first submission that Cook may not have done it may be correct."

"But are you implying this may be related to Frank Warner?" Azul interrupted, giving his chin a scratch, "I don't know much about the guy, except for what Cabalina's interrogation with him revealed, but there just isn't enough to confirm or eliminate him as the culprit. Besides, we don't even know if Warner has an account on Lloyd's website. So how are we supposed to track his movements and actions if he's truly a fan of the novel?" he asked.

Presea pursed her lips and slightly nodded her head. While she agreed with Azul's point, there were still some unresolved issues. "Frank Warner still hasn't submitted any evidence to back up his claim. His words about his van breaking down and other stuff are not buttressed by any eyewitness accounts. Unless he truly has evidence to show that, anything he says may be complete fiction," Presea replied, tucking the folder under her arm, "Besides, Gil and I both find him looking very familiar, almost like we saw him from somewhere before. A similar comment was also made by Sheena, who was the first to point out that she thought she saw Warner at the university." Presea then turned to Cameryn and asked her when Warner would bring in his evidence. "Has he confirmed the time and date with you yet?"

Cameryn shook her head. "I left a message on his cellphone again yesterday, and I'm still waiting for him to confirm the time and date with me," she responded, flipping through her day planner, "But if he agrees to my offer, then he should be here tomorrow afternoon."

Presea nodded once more. Thanking Cameryn in a monotone voice, she returned to her desk and put the folder away. In its place, Presea picked up a series of video tapes, brandishing them about as she entered the unit conference room. "I think until Mr. Warner comes in with his stuff, we'll just have to keep combing through the current evidence," she decided, pushing the door open, "I'm going to look over the security tapes from the mall during the crazy chase over the weekend. I have a feeling there are things in the tapes that may be helpful to us. If Gil comes out of his office and is looking for me, tell him I'm in here, alright?" With that, she slid into the conference room and closed the door behind her, leaving the unit in their wake.

* * *

><p>"So what's your analysis on Pirate King, Jade?" Gil asked, pressing the phone to his ear while flipping through the new documents the SIU technology expert left for him earlier. In an unprecedented move, Gil chose to lock himself in his office all morning, trying to avoid the disturbance that was the ethics commissioner. Usually he was quite open and approachable by both his team and other units, but today he wanted to really concentrate on the task at hand.<p>

"Pirate King is one strange character," Jade responded from the other side, the shuffling of papers echoing through Gil's earpiece, "From the email archives on your son's website, I found that he showed Cook all the news items related to the deaths. Cook would then post them onto the board under the name Death Angel. It's almost like Pirate King is Death Angel's main source. It makes Pirate King seem more like a tabloid reporter or paparazzi than a mystery fan."

Gil nodded, scanning the lines on his page. The two users emailed each other back and forth almost daily in the past two weeks, and it was evident that both sides had similar views on the world. The lone exception was that Cook would lay his beliefs in the open, while Pirate King stayed relatively mum, almost like they didn't want to draw attention to themselves. It made Gil wonder how much Pirate King actually knew about what was going on, and if they had any idea who the true killer was. "What about the transcript from the mall conversation?" Gil asked.

More shuffling of papers could be heard before Jade answered. "Pirate King joined right after Lloyd asked Cook about his drink. Pirate King asked Lloyd if he was looking for Cook, and after Cook answered, they started their conversation and ignored Lloyd for a while. For Lloyd, talk about being rejected," Jade described, "Your unit then scoured the mall for Cook, yes?"

"We were looking for Death Angel, not Cook," Gil corrected the bespectacled man, "We didn't know Death Angel had blond hair at that time, so we were still looking for a redhead holding a drink. Lloyd informed us Death Angel was drinking a smoothie, so we ended up narrowing the search even further. In reality, we were on the wrong path the whole time!"

Jade then diverted Gil's attention back to the transcript, where Death Angel and Pirate King got into the flaming war. "Cook was flaming Pirate King in the middle of a chat room, and Lloyd could see their every word," Jade commented, "Pirate King sent Cook an email regarding a shipwreck off the coast in Luin two years ago. I looked through the email archive and found a link in the email Pirate King wrote to Cook. Shall I forward you the article?" Jade asked.

"Sure, send it to my email account. I'll look into that later on," Gil replied, giving the bottom part of his goatee a scratch, "So both Cook and Lloyd left the chat room at around the same time, but Pirate King stayed on for another minute or so. Can you track the IP address it came from? And what were they doing there the whole time?"

"Pirate King didn't do much," Jade replied, "I didn't see any activity from the site for a while. Other than shuffling and deleting some emails, there wasn't anything suspicious. But I did find one peculiar thing about Pirate King, something that might interest you."

Gil's back straightened as Jade turned another page. "The IP address Pirate King used to get onto the website is from within the mall's own network. It seems to be from the landline, not a Wi-Fi connection. It means Pirate King was using the mall's computers the whole time," Jade concluded, "With you chasing Cook, Pirate King might have taken that time to escape."

Gil hissed through his teeth. While there was still a chance Cook's death had nothing to do with his current cases, the possibility of it being linked to the novel serial killer couldn't be ruled out yet. "Although I did find something interesting about the deaths so far," Jade added, "Except for Cook, all the deaths were done via methods in your book. But do you realize that, including Cook, all the targets wore similar clothing?" Jade asked.

Gil cocked an eyebrow, flipping through his pages once more. "I asked the coroner for each file to compare the time of each death to the time of each Death Angel post on the website. I also skimmed each file, and I noticed they all wore similar clothes. What do they call it? The Loni-Kyle, I think," Jade pointed out, the snapping of fingers echoing through the phone, "That style really reminds me of something a friend of mine likes to wear."

Gil scratched his head, stumped by the comments the SIU member made. "Are you saying that all victims, including Cook, may have been targeted because of their clothing?" he asked, frantically searching through each victim's file. This was somewhat hard to believe, but if this would lead them closer to the truth, then certainly it was welcome news.

"I'm not investigating this case, so I'll let the experts in your unit deal with that. I just think it's coincidental that they all wear the same clothes," Jade continued, his tone a mix of sarcasm and reluctance, "My friend Luke fon Fabre goes for that style, and I can recognize him from a mile away. With his red top and a bare abdomen, I think he looks great as a carrot with its colours reversed!" Jade ended with the roar of laughter on his side.

Gil sharply inhaled, suddenly remembering something of interest. "Did you say your friend Luke has red hair?" he asked, "Can you tell me more? What other traits does he have?"

"Luke? He's eighteen years old, stands just short of six feet, and has messy red hair," Jade listed off, "He's also a bit of a spoiled brat, and has a temper like no other. It's what you get when your parents are millionaires. From what I heard, his parents personally know the people who designed the Loni-Kyle, so that's why he gets all these freebies from them without lifting a finger to do anything. Seriously, if he's getting all this good stuff, why is he even complaining?"

Gil froze, his eyes setting on the forensics report of each deceased. Indeed, each one commented on the victim's clothing as a crop top or Loni-Kyle. In addition to Jade's comment about hair, all victims also had similarly coloured hair. "Jade, thanks for the advice. I think we have something to work with now." Gil quickly hung up the phone and charged out to the unit. Presea brought in some new evidence yesterday, and that might just give them a new lead.

Yet Gil barely took a step into the unit before Presea met him right at the hallway leading into his office. "Gil, were you looking for me? Because I'm looking for you right now," Presea stated, "I'm looking at the mall's security tapes, and there's someone you should look at."

"Is it who I think it is? Pirate King?" Gil asked, following the petite officer into the conference room. Inside, the projector was still on, broadcasting the events of the mall onto the large screen. "I spoke with Jade and he told me about Pirate King being in the mall during the exact time we were there with Lloyd. Did we manage to locate this person?"

"Not really, but it's someone else of interest," Presea pointed out. She and Gil sat on the front seats on opposite sides of the table, with Gil on the seat closer to the door. Grabbing the remote control, Presea put the tape on rewind, pushing the time back to before the chase began. "This is a scene of one of the public computers in the mall. Remember how we had to look for redheads before we found out Cook had blond hair? Well, here's a redhead using the public computer for quite a while. In fact, he arrived shortly after we did, and stayed at this computer."

Gil squinted at the screen, looking at the time while flipping through the IP notes Jade sent him. The unit was ordered to start narrowing the search when Lloyd reported that Cook had a drink, and the redhead in the video had no drink. "That could be one reason why we never kept an eye on him," Gil muttered, "He didn't fit the description at that time."

Presea kept playing the tape, moving it to when the chase began while keeping track of the time on the video. "Even when the chase was going on, he was rather calm," Presea noted, "It was like he didn't have a worry in the world, even though everything around him was in chaos."

Gil flipped to the time in question, when Lloyd and Cook both left the website. Jade said Pirate King stayed on the website for a bit more, deleting and organizing emails after the flaming comments by Cook. Could this man staying at the computer be Pirate King? "Can we get a close look at his face, or is the camera angle stuck like that?" Gil wondered.

Presea smirked. "The camera may not get his face, but it doesn't mean the man won't move," she replied, forwarding the tape once more. Gil saw Cook blast through that aisle in the video, followed by Noishe and others. Then, true to Zelos' words, the former military mole dove into the computer station, nearly knocking over the user. The two men did truly resemble each other, standing about the same height with shoulder-length red hair. Just as the computer user lifted his head, Presea stopped the tape. "See anyone familiar?" she pointed out to Gil.

"That's Frank Warner!" Gil exclaimed, pointing at the screen in shock. The staff sergeant watched Presea continue the tape, seeing Zelos wander off to the doors, followed by Warner about a minute later. The back silhouette was too familiar for both Gil and Presea to ignore, reminding them of when Gil held the book signing event. "So Frank Warner did get my book and my signature. He was the handyman who ran into those girls when he left!"

"And Frank Warner's name also showed up on the University of Iselia's visitor log," Presea emphasized, telling Gil the same observations she informed the unit about earlier, "He was at two crime scenes, was recognized by the two of us and Sheena, was captured by a mall security camera during a chase, and still hasn't handed in any evidence. If he wants to clear his name, why is he delaying the evidence drop for so long?" the pink-haired officer questioned.

"I'm going to get Zelos Wilder in here," Gil decided, getting out of his seat. He recalled that Zelos saw a man with a hoodie walk out of Cook's crime scene. This was similar to the Kent Ruffin death, and Frank Warner's physical figure suddenly really resembled that hooded stranger on that security tape. Gil snatched his notes from the conference table and exited the conference room. Approaching Cameryn's desk, he demanded, "Has Frank Warner called you back yet?"

The seated Cameryn glanced up in exasperation. "You won't like this, Sergeant," she responded weakly to the man standing beside her, "Frank Warner is refusing to come to the unit. He told me he lost trust in the police after the press conference, when the ethics commissioner condemned our team's actions at the mall. This is added to the fact that he didn't like how he was interrogated last time, so he'll only hand over the evidence outside of the station. He wants one of us to meet him in a public area tomorrow afternoon, where he'll then give us his stuff."

Gil cursed once more. Realizing he was out of options, he might have to do what Warner said and place the unit in more trouble. "Can you try to negotiate with him some more?" the goateed man pleaded, "Call him up again and see if you can convince him to change his mind."

The strawberry blond secretary winced, reluctantly grabbing the phone once more. From his position on Cameryn's right, Gil turned back to stare at Presea helplessly, signalling that things were dire. "Try to compare the mall security tape with the martial arts dojo tape," he ordered, "See if you can get at least a visual match between Warner and the hooded man. I'll call up Zelos to see if he can help us again," he declared, trotting back into his office.

After hearing the door click shut behind him, Gil leaped back into his chair and picked up the phone. He dialled for the number of his friend and waited to connect, all the while trying to remember the words of another friend. Frank Brunel told Gil to think of other hypotheses in his investigation, and right now one was hitting him in the face. If this worked out, and Warner was willing to cooperate, they would really hit the jackpot for sure. As the flirtatious man from Meltokio greeted Gil on the other line, the staff sergeant prepared his all-important request.

* * *

><p>Bombshell! Did that shock you? The guy that everyone was writing off as a red herring earlier turns out to be related to the deaths somehow. What do you guys think? Is Frank Warner the real killer or not? How will Gil get him to come into the unit? And what will they do to get info out of him? Read on next chapter to find out!<p> 


	9. Flower Pots Keep Falling on my Head

There was only one reviewer last chapter, and that was **Mandrakefunnyjuice**. Plenty of things are happening in this chapter, with a potential new lead after the original suspect was killed. How will Gil get Warner to come into the station this time? And what role will the other officers play in helping him? And due to the request of a fan, one member of Gil's team will be threatened, and have their lives put in danger. Let us begin!

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. **AccessBlade** owns Cameryn Lachance. **Fenrir of the Shadows** owns Azul Kharlan. **No Pain No Gain** owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.

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><p>"Okay Gil, what do you want me to help you with this time?" Zelos asked as the staff sergeant led him into the unit conference room. Originally, Zelos was attending more talks by the military on their intelligence gathering techniques when Gil suddenly called. Claiming that this was urgent, Gil insisted that his friend came to the unit to help out. While Zelos tried to pry, Gil released few details, leaving Zelos quite flustered as he had to excuse himself early.<p>

"We feel your testimonies from both the mall chase and last night may prove useful to us in pursuing a new lead," Gil replied, approaching the projector currently manned by Presea, "We want you to go through your words on those events once more before we show you something."

Zelos tilted his head at the Ozette native before grinning. Nearly a year ago, Presea still had an Exsphere on her collar, and Gil asked Zelos to recruit Regal and Altessa, a dwarf living in Tethe'alla, to help her out. "I see our pink-haired hunny is doing well without the Exsphere," Zelos commented, "Did you stay just to wait until I show up, so you can know me personally?"

Presea rolled her eyes at the overzealous redhead. She recalled him trying to flirt with her when the Exsphere was removed, and she didn't feel too happy about that. "No offence, but I won't give you an easy pass just because you're Gil's friend," she retorted, turning back to the machine, "So how do we want to start this exercise?" Presea asked Gil.

Gil opened two folders before him, which Presea recognized as one containing Zelos' testimonies from the past two meetings. "Starting with the mall chase, can you tell me specifically what you saw when you crashed into the public computer?" Gil suggested.

Zelos winced. Why was Gil asking for a rehash of the events? Sighing, Zelos glanced back at Gil with irritated eyes before giving the story once more. "I crashed into the computer desk to avoid the chase, and I saw a guy who looks kind of like me, except with a lousier fashion sense. I made sure he was alright before going to the exit," Zelos reported impatiently.

Gil didn't answer the question, opting to shuffle his notes around before turning back to Zelos. "How would you describe the man you ran into?" Gil asked, "Let's say you're introducing this man to one of your hunnies. What will you say to the girl to make her truly envision him?"

Zelos nearly fell out of his chair, staring at Gil with disbelieving eyes. And to think Zelos was used to Gil's craziness, given their common background as moles. Now Gil was asking Zelos if he would introduce that red-haired stranger to a girl! What was he thinking? "Gil, you can't be serious with that question, right? What are you trying to prove with that?" Zelos half-stuttered and half-bellowed, all the while waving his arms around in shock.

Gil lifted a hand to calm Zelos down. "Just do this for me very quickly," he stated coolly, "I know you have a meeting to get to and I don't want to waste too much of your time. Besides, it doesn't hurt that you can tell your ladies how you took part in an exciting chase, right?"

Zelos winced. "I wouldn't call it exciting, but it is memorable, I guess," he murmured, shaking his head a couple of times before continuing, "That guy is around my height, which is near six feet. He has shoulder-length red hair, similar to my style. I believe he wore…"

Zelos couldn't get another word off before Gil raised his hand to interrupt. "I have a clip of what you said you saw here," he pointed out, signalling to Presea to start to video, "This has the whole sequence of you running into the public computer station to when the guy left. I want you to pay close attention to the guy right after he left the station. Presea, if you please?"

Presea slowly rolled the tape, starting with when she and Azul first confronted Peter Cook at the main foyer. As the sequence played on, Gil flipped through his notes on Cook's death. There, Zelos claimed he saw a mysterious stranger marching through the alley before finding Cook being poisoned. "Can you describe your account of the alley death? What did the strange man look like as you followed him out the alley?" Gil asked.

Zelos glared at Gil, wondering if it was another one of his sick jokes. Was Gil going to give Zelos detention if Zelos missed even one detail? "Like I said before, the man had a hoodie on, so I couldn't see his face," Zelos explained through clenched teeth, "All I know is that he's about six feet tall and has strands of red hair sticking out from under the hood. Anything else?"

Gil's eyes slightly tilted at the screen before turning back to Zelos. "I made a rather interesting discovery based on your two testimonies," he remarked, flipping both pages around so Zelos could see, "If I'm not mistaken, in both cases you mentioned seeing a red-haired man standing around six feet tall. Doesn't that seem a bit odd to you?" Gil asked.

Zelos scratched his head. Now that Gil mentioned it, the two individuals he saw from the chase and the alley did seem similar. "Body-wise, I say they might be the same," Zelos added, "I can't see their faces, so I don't think that helps. But if you base on their body shapes alone, then it's possible those two might have been the same person. Is that one of your wanted men?"

Gil pointed to the screen, the sequence showing the very second that Zelos crashed into the computer desk. The threesome kept their eyes trained on the events, with Zelos hobbling off into the distance. But instead of stopping the tape, Gil asked Presea to keep going, asking Zelos to pay close attention to the red-haired man he crashed into. The strange individual stayed at the computer for a few more seconds before stepping away, turning his body around and giving the camera a great view of his backside. "Pause the tape right there," Gil instructed Presea. Turning to Zelos, he asked for the former military mole's input. "What do you think?"

Zelos squeezed his eyes, trying to get a better look. While the angle and lighting were quite different than those from the alley, he could see the similarities between the two individuals in their respective situations. "This guy does look a lot like the other guy I saw in the alley," he commented, "Are you saying they're the same guy? This guy that I ran into in the mall is some type of psycho murderer going around killing who knows how many people?"

"Why don't we show you one more tape before we decide on that?" Gil proposed, pulling out the tape from the martial arts dojo camera for Presea. The petite officer quickly made the switch and forwarded the nearly colourless video to the area of interest. "I want you to watch the person coming into the area and shining a flashlight around," Gil advised.

Zelos focused on the screen once more, watching the mysterious figure navigate through the shadows. Presea adjusted the brightness and contrast on her panel, making the distinction between the individual and the background clearer. "Hey, this guy has red hair too!" Zelos exclaimed, pointing at the screen, "In fact, I say he looks a lot like the guy I saw in the alley."

Gil signalled Presea to pause the tape once more. "Are you certain that the three people you just saw are the same person?" Gil asked. Even the ventilation fan quieted down as two sets of eyes anticipated the final judgment. "Zelos, I want you to analyze carefully with your years of military and undercover work. Can you reasonably say those three are one and the same?"

Zelos thought long and hard, trying to shield the two sets of piercing eyes on him. While he had experience in observing people, he was never in a situation where he could possibly solve a case with one line of testimony. Was he certain of his training, and would this help Gil get on the right path in his investigation? "I can't say with absolute certainty they are, but I will say there's a better than three-quarters chance they are," the Meltokio native concluded reluctantly. His voice was almost shaky and his body near a slouch. If Gil leaned closer, he might have seen beads of sweat developing on Zelos' temples, glistening off his peach skin.

Nonetheless, Gil scribbled down the important detail in big bold letters. "That's one point we will have to confront Frank Warner about if we can get him in here," he informed Presea, "And knowing how much difficulty Cabalina had in squeezing info out of that guy last time, I say it's going to be a challenge. Until then, we have to do what we can."

Thanking Zelos once more, he escorted his friend out the conference room. The two men barely got a couple of steps into the unit when Gil noticed a familiar sight. His former colleague, now member of the Archives Department, was paying them a visit again. "Ethics commissioner aside, does anyone of you want me to get you lunch?" Robert Ross asked in his flamboyant voice, "If you want to make orders, tell me now and I'll get the food for you. You can just pay me back later, when I have the grub delivered here. Anyone interested?"

Gil quickly escorted Zelos out before turning back to Robert. The appearance of an Archives Department officer gave Gil an idea, and he figured to scout out what was going on before things got out of hand. "So Bob, last time you were here, you commented on the IT guys having to do a quality control run of your system. How's that coming so far?" Gil asked.

Robert turned to Gil and greeted him with his trademark grin. "Everything is running smoothly now, Sarge," he reported, shoving his hands into his pants pocket, "Right now we can search for anybody living in Iselia who have records with the government. We also harmonized some storage systems with other cities as well, meaning we can cross-reference with police forces over there, assuming the suspect lived outside Iselia before. Pretty good, huh?"

Gil nodded with a smile. "So what info is required before you can search someone up?" Gil queried, "Do you just type in a person's name and all their important info pop up?"

Robert shook his head. "To prevent the police from snooping into people's personal lives, our unit is not allowed to search for people without some info to begin with," Robert explained, "You must obtain info from a proper interrogation, or some type of the person's government record must have been already available, whether it's a criminal record or changes to name or Social Security. If not, then you can't just do a blind search. Do you have someone in mind?"

Gil bit his lower lip, frustrated at the limited information he had on the suspect. Added to that was the ethics commissioner still hounding their unit, with Noishe taking him to Major Crimes just to let them work in peace! Still, Gil was adamant that they tried out this longshot. "I'll get you the information you want by tomorrow afternoon, Bob," he guaranteed.

Before Robert could react, Gil barked out orders in the unit. "Azul, contact all renovators at the university. Find out if they know Warner's warehouse address. Oni, visit the hotel from Cook's death. Ask them what happened before and during the blackout. Cabalina, go through your last interrogation with Warner. We have a lot of ambiguities to clear up, after what Zelos just told me. Cameryn, have you contacted Warner again?" Gil asked the strawberry blonde.

The bespectacled secretary gave Gil a helpless look. "I tried to convince him once more, but he won't budge," Cameryn reported, "I don't think he wants to come in at all. He told me it's either we do it his way, or we won't get his evidence. I think we're out of options here."

Gil cursed under his breath. He glanced around the unit, realizing everyone would be busy until tomorrow afternoon. Much as he hated to send a non-active member to the task, it might just be Cameryn who had to meet Warner. "If you don't mind, then I want you to go to the mall tomorrow afternoon," Gil requested, "Besides, Warner might feel more comfortable talking to someone who isn't an active investigator, given how little faith he has in the police."

Just then, Robert placed a hand on Gil's shoulder, wondering if Gil still wanted him around. Gil turned to the unit once more and his eyes landed on one person. "Bob, you said at the beginning that you were an expert in pranking rookies, right?" he asked, his lips curling up in a sly smile, "What if for tomorrow's mission, while Cameryn is gone, I let you prank a guy?"

Robert cocked an eyebrow, not sure what Gil was trying to do. Yet Gil remained coy, telling Robert to go get lunch for everyone else before turning back into the conference room. Presea was still putting tapes away when Gil approached her for the most important task. "I think it's time we find out if Pirate King and Frank Warner are the same person," he offered, "How about we visit Jade Curtiss again, and see what he can come up with?"

* * *

><p>"It's alright, Oni. I'll just get a ride home with Lloyd and Colette," Genis assured his student over his cellphone. He was originally going to do more mana practice with Oni today, with Lloyd and Colette joining them on the field located jointly behind their schools. They were gathered and ready when the blond half-elf called, claiming there were new leads in their case and had to stay late. The session was thus called off, leaving the threesome all by their lonesome.<p>

"Well, at least they're making progress," Colette commented, grabbing her backpack from the ground. The two boys near her did the same, slinging the bags over their shoulders and headed for the parking lot. "Now the work Lloyd put in won't be wasted," she pointed out.

Lloyd smiled, clicking the unlock button on his key chain. Lloyd's MINI Cooper let out a couple of whoops, allowing the three to climb into the small car. Genis went into the back while Colette took the passenger seat. "I guess Dad had some people look at the transcripts and email system of the website?" Lloyd supposed, scratching his head, "He left a message on my cell saying he wants to look through the website tonight. It was regarding some emails being sent by users, and I have to help him search them up using the admin options."

The drive home was a relatively quiet one, giving all three some time to think about how this case affected them. Lloyd was hit the hardest, having to deal with these users on his website, with one of them thought to be the primary suspect. When that operation went south, it left Lloyd angry and bitter, claiming the ethics commissioner blindsided everyone. Now, with Cook being yet another casualty, things were getting complicated quickly. Had it not been for Colette and his other friends, Lloyd would have probably gone crazy just thinking about who's who.

For Colette, her biggest worry was keeping her boyfriend in check. Lloyd was at a time of his life where things had to go almost perfectly. He almost turned it around completely, going from lazy slacker who was disinterested in school to potential entrance into university. It didn't hurt that their love blossomed along as well, but it reached another testing point with this case. Colette tried to be supportive of Lloyd throughout, but she could see how much it grated on him. It must have killed Lloyd inside that even after all that work, they were no closer to finding the killer. Until then, Colette was content to keep being the supportive girlfriend she always was.

"First stop is the Sage household. Genis, better get your stuff ready," Lloyd announced from the driver's seat. Unlike the two older teens, Genis was not directly involved in the case, but was affected nonetheless. He made a new friend in Oni, and shared with the rookie officer the skills of mana manipulation. While Oni did not reveal too much about the case, Genis did hear bits and pieces from Raine, who had been interrogated by the officers. While Genis had not shown any signs of stress from the case, it was evident that the events still weighed in his mind.

"Thank you, Lloyd. I was too busy focusing on my belly button to notice," Genis replied, his shirt still up and a finger inside his navel as the car turned into the block, "On the topic of belly buttons, did you know that the community spring dance is taking place this Friday, which also happens to be my birthday? I think it's the first time that's happened!"

"Oh, that's right! We still have to get you presents!" Colette exclaimed, turning to Lloyd, "Do you think we can still make it to the dance? Or will your dad's investigation keep you late?"

Lloyd winced. If there was one thing he was afraid of, it was the case's unpredictability. Gil was exhausting all options just to get more clues right now, and it wasn't working out as effectively as he hoped for. "The dance starts at seven p.m. and lasts for three hours, right? If we show up no later than eight, I think we can still deliver our present to Genis, as well as get some dancing in. What do you say?" Lloyd proposed, asking his passengers for input.

"Well, as long as you can make it, I'll be happy," Genis responded, only stopping his jabs into the depression on his gut when the car pulled up onto his driveway. "Hey, doesn't that look like your dad?" Genis stated to Lloyd, pointing at a man standing at the front door, "It looks like he's talking to Raine. What do you think is going on?"

Lloyd and Colette both noticed the situation, with Lloyd popping the car into park and hurrying out. Colette and Genis soon followed, approaching the man who was now furiously scribbling down some notes. "Dad, what happened?" Lloyd asked.

The man in the leather jacket turned. "Hi, Lloyd," Gil greeted his son, "I'm just asking Raine to confirm some details regarding a new lead. Apparently, she told a couple of my officers what she saw at the university, and it's starting to match the new evidence."

Raine nodded and smiled. "Your father took the advice Frank gave him, using the very line that I always used when I get stuck in research," Raine declared, reciting the comment about going back to search for clues within the original hypothesis, "It only shows that archaeological and criminal investigations are two parts of the same piece. Lloyd, as the son of a police staff sergeant, you should pay attention to this!" Raine concluded, pounding a fist into her palm.

Lloyd shivered at the remark, not wanting Raine to rant about the importance of history again. "Here's your little brother," Lloyd muttered, giving way for Genis to march in, "Colette and I will be at the dance, and that's a promise. We'll see you Friday night, okay?"

Lloyd and Colette strolled back to the MINI Cooper while Gil followed them out. "You know, the new lead got me thinking of a new plan. We found out that Pirate King spoke to you on the chat room that day, and he was using a mall computer, given the IP address and how he got caught on security tapes," Gil pointed out, "We also have some ideas on similarities on the clothing of each deceased, as they seem to wear a similar style. What if there is some pattern to this killer that we haven't picked up on so far? Is that a way to predict a future kill?"

"Are there killers who even kill with such a pattern?" Lloyd asked, getting back into his car. He leaned his head out the driver's window, looking up at Gil who stood before him with his hands in his pockets, "It's a bit improbable that things like physical appearance or clothing can trigger a killing spree. But since the killer does like attention to detail, I guess it's still likely."

"Actually, I think I've heard something like that before," Colette added. Both Irvings turned their eyes to the blond girl, who leaned her head on her right hand in thought. "My mom told me she has a friend working at the psychiatry department at the hospital. She heard him say there are psychological disorders where a person can feel or act a certain way if they see, hear, or even smell something that triggers some memory. Maybe that's what you're referring to?"

Gil scratched his chin. While he wouldn't call himself an expert in diseases of the mind, there were psychology analysts in the force that mentioned something similar. Maybe he could get in touch with one of these experts to further discuss this idea? "I'll call your mother tonight, Colette," he decided, "Hopefully she can bring me to see this expert. Until then, I have to finish some other investigative work. Lloyd, I'll see you at home later on." With that, Gil hustled into his Audi V8 and drove off, leaving the two teens confused in their wake.

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><p>Cameryn Lachance glanced at her watch multiple times, waiting for the mysterious man to show up. Cameryn was seated at a bench at the front foyer of a downtown mall, slowly sipping her coffee while her eyes darted around. Per the agreement with Gil, Cameryn was the one to meet up with Frank Warner. It wasn't something the secretary was looking forward to, as Warner's attitude towards her colleagues and superiors was far from positive. Cameryn had no idea what Gil had in mind when he suggested having a non-investigative staff meet Warner, and she wasn't too keen on finding out how Warner felt about her presence.<p>

"Are you Miss Cameryn Lachance?" a deep male voice asked from behind her, nearly shocking Cameryn out of her seat. The bespectacled young woman whipped her head around to see a tall man wearing a workman's vest staring back at her. His head was slightly leaning in, letting some strands of his shoulder-length red head drape over and dangle on his torso. Cameryn couldn't put her finger on it, but this person's figure kept returning to her memories every time she thought about the mall incident, where she and Colette were sitting outside during the chase.

"I was told to meet with Cameryn Lachance, the secretary of the plainclothes team," Frank Warner continued, his tone slow but somewhat patronizing, "I have evidence to hand over to the team to confirm that I am not the suspect. Are you Miss Lachance?"

Cameryn nodded, trying to sit back up straight while signalling Warner to take a seat beside her. The renovator slowly eased onto the bench, pulling out several items from a manila envelope. "If you don't mind, I would like to take some time to explain these items to you," Warner stated, staring at Cameryn through cold, emotionless eyes. Even though the sun shone through the glass ceiling thirty feet above, Cameryn felt like she was in Flanoir.

Cameryn stayed silent, watching Warner give a short description of each item from the envelope. The first one was an appointment to the garage, which occurred nine days ago. This was in reaction to Warner's claim that his van broke down, which meant taking it into the shop for a fix. Warner compounded that with the report from the mechanic, outlining what had to be fixed and how much it cost, which pretty much covered Warner for the campsite incident.

Warner slid those documents back into the envelope before picking up another set, this time outlining his shifts with the renovation team at the University of Iselia. Again, they showed what equipment he helped deliver to them, what days he spent helping with the renovation work, and even what time his shifts ended. Again, it felt like the evidence, on its face, seemed to clear Warner of any wrongdoing. Cameryn hated to admit it, but it felt more and more like this was another dead end. And the more Warner explained, using that nonchalant tone of his, the more Cameryn felt like she was being humiliated.

"Now, I can also go into some detail on…Miss Lachance?" Warner called. Cameryn's shoulders were hunched, her eyes were downcast, and her front teeth gently nibbled on her lower lip. The smell of defeat reeked from the secretary as she slowly lifted back up, trying to eke out a smile. "Would you like more details?" Warner asked, his grin looking more like a smirk.

Cameryn shook her head. "I appreciate all this, Mr. Warner," she murmured, "If you can, please put them all into the envelope and I'll take them to the station with me." Inside Cameryn's mind, she still had the nagging feeling that Warner was still hiding something. But with little to work with, she wasn't sure how to approach the issue. "So I assume you were busy all weekend then, correct? I couldn't reach you by phone at all, and had to leave messages on your cell. Were you doing a lot of projects, so much so that you couldn't be reached?" she asked.

Warner didn't answer, merely placing the documents into the manila envelope before pushing it close. His large hand gripped the string and tied the envelope tightly, making sure there wasn't even the slightest crease before handing it to Cameryn. "You do realize that this is the same mall that the operation to flush out the killer took place, right?" the bespectacled secretary continued, gesturing her hand around, "Are you sure it's safe making the drop here, given what happened over the weekend? I won't be surprised if the real killer frequents here."

Just then, Warner froze. Cameryn felt icicles forming up her spine, staring back at a set of piercing eyes. The surroundings were a blur when Warner slowly licked his lips like a predator ready to devour his prey. "Miss Lachance, let me ask you a question," he suggested, stating out each word and syllable as slowly and clearly as possible, "What is your opinion of the police having to shut down a public area like this just to do some investigation?"

Cameryn felt like she just swallowed a blender, with the blades slicing away at the lining inside her stomach. Why was Warner suddenly so interested in police procedure? Didn't he say just the day before that he did not trust the police after the ethics commissioner's report? What trick was he pulling now? Taking deep breaths, Cameryn lifted her shaking hand to wipe her mouth. That only made it worse due to the cold perspiration from her palm being spread across her lips. "Well, it was unfortunate that the incident ended with that chase, but I'm sure every police operation has its reason," she stuttered, "I have full faith in my team and all other units…"

"You have faith in your team? How amusing," Warner interjected, snickering under his breath, "I must say that your faith in the police is quite remarkable, considering how incompetent they can be. Their inflexibility in doing things, always going by the book, never considering the needs of those around them, all these will only lead to more deaths." Cameryn's back stiffened when Warner leaned close once more, his eyes turning into arrows aimed at Cameryn's heart. "Tragedies have happened because of police operations, Miss Lachance. Don't forget that."

The strawberry blonde's jaw fluttered a few times, all the while Warner gently eased the envelope into Cameryn's hands. Cameryn's eyes flickered and blinked involuntarily as the tall man slowly lifted himself off the bench, those knife-like eyes never leaving their target. The stare-down continued for a few more seconds, before Warner slowly turned his body and moved away from the bench. "Have a good day, Miss Lachance," he called with his back towards her, "I parked my van on the other side of the mall, so that's where I'll be heading off to."

Yet, before Cameryn could even react, a loud crack resembling glass shattering sliced through the front foyer of the mall. Even the shoppers on the opposite side of the foyer shot their heads up. Cameryn slid out of her seat, her eyes landing right on Warner once more. "Mr. Warner, are you alright?" she called, hustling towards the redhead.

Warner didn't answer, but his eyes were peeled for the second balcony above him. He was right below where the ledge was, craning his neck to get a view of the people above him. Cameryn's eyes lifted up and down like a spring before landing at Warner's feet, where the culprit of the noise was found. A flower pot was shattered before the renovator, missing Warner by only inches. Had it been any closer, the case's latest witness would have been a dead man.

* * *

><p>The shattered flower pot did nothing to break the ice surrounding Warner and the officer now with him. Instead, the renovator found himself facing a set of eyes as cold as his own. "It looks like you do have something to do with this case after all," Gil observed in a low tone.<p>

Now it was Warner trying to avoid Gil's stare, behaving similar to what Cameryn was like when he confronted her. "I don't know what you mean, Sergeant," the redhead murmured, shifting his weight left and right while keeping his hands buried in his pants pockets. After the pot crashing down, Cameryn wasted no time calling for help. She immediately grabbed the nearest mall security guard, who told Warner to stay in place while they checked him for any injuries. In addition to that, Cameryn also called Gil, who came down to the mall within minutes. Knowing how important Warner was to the case, sergeant and secretary took no chances at all.

"Dare you deny it?" Gil continued, those laser eyes shooting through Warner's soul, "You met Cameryn at the same spot the police chase started over the weekend. We did manage to arrest a guy, only to have him killed not even a day after releasing him. Now you have the guts to show up here to hand evidence to Cameryn? Pretty bold, if I say so myself," Gil commented.

Just then, Cameryn trotted over with the security guard, who completed a report for Gil. "If the police want to handle this, then it's all yours, Sergeant Irving," the guard explained, pointing out certain details of interest to Gil. The goateed staff sergeant skimmed through the report thoughtfully while ignoring Warner, making the renovator literally squirm in his shoes.

After an awkward minute or so, Gil turned to thank the security guard, who made his way back into the mall. Alternating his eyes between Cameryn and Warner, Gil stated his proposition. "It's apparent that someone may be targeting you, Mr. Warner. Of all the people in the mall, why did you almost get nailed with a flower pot and no one else? Since there aren't usually pots on the second floor of that size, it's very likely we have a hit going on here," Gil described, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes, "Can it be in retaliation for your cooperation with our case?"

It was like someone approached Warner with a flash camera, causing the stoic man to blink rapidly and his head twitching a few times. Gil tilted his head just in time to see the mall lights' reflection against some perspiration now forming on Warner's temples. Knowing there was an issue to be pressed, Gil decided to pursue further. "I know you mentioned to Cameryn that you have no faith in the police, and the chase certainly didn't make you feel better," Gil stated, "But with the killings going on around the city, and the last person who aided in our investigation also dead, it may be in our best interests to put you in protective custody."

"Protective custody? What on earth does that mean?" Warner sputtered, now lifting a hand to wipe away the sweat on his forehead, "I am a renovator, so I'll have to travel all over the city for projects. I can't afford to have my mobility be limited. You do realize that, right?"

"I do indeed," Gil replied, sagely nodding his head. From beside him, Cameryn could tell Gil was in a groove now, so typical of whenever Gil entered the "crazy mode" that he showed to uncooperative individuals. Slightly smirking, this was redemption for the strawberry blonde, who was intimidated by Warner earlier. How did it feel now to be on the receiving end of some nutty tactics courtesy of one of Iselia's craziest individuals? "But given our job is to protect the public, shouldn't you at least consider our offer?" Gil asked, his eyebrows alternating their lifting.

Warner remained silent, which only lent more ammunition to Gil. "It only adds to the concerns when you were attacked shortly after cooperating with us, so it's likely that the killer was trying to eliminate all leads. Knowing how accurate this killer is and how easy they make these sophisticated kills look, I think it may be in your best interests to accept," Gil informed the redhead, "It's also our way of apologizing to you for losing faith in our system. If you want to see our sincerity in striving to improve, this is a perfect opportunity to do it." It was like the entire world went still as Gil tilted his head at Warner, whose head nearly shrank into his shirt.

Gil tilted his head at Cameryn, who gave her input on this as well. "I saw how close that pot came to hitting you, and if the killer is outside the mall right now, I doubt you can leave here alive," the bespectacled young woman suggested, her tone filled with worry and alarm, "I'm not trying to scare you, Mr. Warner, but I am seriously concerned for your safety. You saw how the ethics commissioner ripped us apart, so what do you think will happen if you end up dead?"

Finally, after what appeared to be an eternity, Warner gave in. "But you have to promise me that I get the mobility I requested," he reminded Gil and Cameryn, the lighting seeping in through the foyer's glass ceiling dancing across his face, "I don't mind the police watching over me, but if it even affects my livelihood the slightest bit, then I'll call it off."

Gil lifted his hands in assurance. "I guarantee that the officer watching over you will not interfere with your work at all. They're just there to watch over you, making sure no suspicious individual start stalking you, dropping stuff at you from above. How did that song go? Flower pots keep falling on my head…" Gil sang, snapping his fingers and swinging his body around. From beside him, Cameryn could only gawk with her jaw nearly hitting the ground.

Shaking her head a couple of times, Cameryn cleared her throat loudly, shaking her superior out of his wildness and back to the issue at hand. "To ensure everything is done right, we have to get some type of government-issued identification for our staff at Protection Services to register you," Cameryn described, "Do you have your driver's license with you?"

Warner hesitated the whole way, from reaching into his pocket to pulling the license out of his wallet. During the whole time, Gil watched silently from beside Cameryn, who copied down the important details. The information could be used for other purposes, and he had one in mind already. "Once Protection Services approves of this, we will contact you immediately," she concluded, handing the identification back to Warner.

Warner merely grunted, not even bothering to thank the secretary. Shoving the license into his wallet, he hurried away from the twosome. Gil made sure Warner was out of sight before asking Cameryn for the information. "You got all the important details, right?" he asked, "Date of birth, height, weight, all that stuff? You didn't miss anything out?"

Cameryn shook her head, to which Gil responded by yanking out his own notebook from his jacket's inside pocket. Turning to a fresh page, he clicked his pen and transcribed over all the information Cameryn gathered. "You can feel free to hand that to Protection Services now," Gil announced, flamboyantly handing back the sheet to Cameryn, "I have a phone call to make, so I won't go back to the station yet. Are you okay with taking the bus, or do you prefer a ride?"

Cameryn fumed at Gil's subtle dig at her. "If Iselia has a subway built, I won't be in this situation," she ranted, shoving the note into her pocket. Tugging on her coat once more, she pivoted around and headed out the front entrance, going straight to the bus station located past the parking lot. It left Gil standing in the foyer shrugging and grinning helplessly.

Once he made sure no one was looking, Gil headed in the direction of the security office, all the while yanking out his cellphone. He quickly dialled for a familiar number, pressed the phone to his ear and waited for it to connect. "Hi, Bob?" he greeted the man on the other end, waving his badge at security, "Are you at your unit? I have the information you want, and I can get them to you within an hour. Can you search up the individual for me by tomorrow morning?"

* * *

><p>"Okay, Regal. Tell me about the history behind the Loni-Kyle," Gil requested, speaking into his laptop monitor. Thursday morning brought a bit more peace and quiet for Gil's team, who now had new leads instead of visits from the ethics commissioner. Even though they were still far from cracking the case, morale was a lot higher than the past couple of days. Now, Gil had a whole new situation to deal with, one that would involve the Lezareno Company president.<p>

"The Loni-Kyle is the brainchild of Stahn Aileron and his wife Rutee," Regal explained through their teleconference. Using Skype, Gil was able to set up this meeting, with a time that was suitable for both men. While it was morning in Iselia, it was night in Altamira. Luckily, Regal chose not to go to bed yet, just to give Gil his important leads. "Stahn and Rutee had the idea that styles worn in the past should be re-imagined, making them suitable for our time. They marketed this to certain clothing lines, and many started selling their clothes a few years back."

Gil nodded, scribbling down some details in his notebook. "But apparently, you said they weren't too popular for a couple of years, right? It wasn't until Lezareno conglomerated with the Ailerons' company did the style take off?" he asked, thinking back to the book signing event weeks back. He recalled Regal pointing to a store named Destiny's, which supposedly had this style on sale. Was this the original company that accepted the idea proposed by Stahn and Rutee?

"We did, and that's why Destiny's was able to increase the clothing's sales," Regal replied, showing Gil a couple of pictures on the screen, "Stahn and Rutee named the clothing after their two children, Loni and Kyle. They even took pictures of the two wearing them, and apparently they really liked those clothes. See what I mean?"

Gil squinted at the screen, getting a look at the two boys. The shorter one seemed like he was about sixteen, had unruly blond hair, and sharp blue eyes. The taller one, however, was the polar opposite of his younger sibling. He seemed more like he was in his mid-twenties, had silver hair in almost a buzzcut, and relaxed grey eyes. "I would have never guessed they're brothers. They look nothing alike!" Gil commented, "Any reason behind the difference in appearances?"

Regal chuckled. "Loni isn't really Kyle's older brother," he answered, pulling the photo to his left while pointing with his right index finger, "Loni was adopted by the Ailerons shortly after Kyle was born. Rutee was in her mid-twenties when she gave birth to Kyle, but after that she and Stahn adopted Loni, who is eight years older than Kyle. Since they're not related by blood, it explains why Loni and Kyle look so different even though they're siblings."

Gil nodded at the extra trivia. Getting back to the topic, he then asked Regal what stores had the Loni-Kyle brand on sale at the beginning. "Destiny's is one of them, but are they the only one? And how many cities across the world have them on sale?" Gil queried.

It was now Regal's turn to flip through some pages, looking through a set of old notes. "I know there are branches in most cities in Sylvarant, but not in Tethe'alla," he stated, his eyes going back and forth on his sheet, "You know there's a branch in Iselia, in that downtown mall where you were signing books. There are a couple of branches in Palmacosta, although I'm not surprised, given that's the biggest Sylvaranti city. I see some in Asgard, in Hima, in Luin…"

"Wait, did you just say Luin?" Gil interrupted. Regal glanced up in time to see Gil grab another set of notes, pages literally covering the computer screen. The aquamarine-haired man could only cock an eyebrow as Gil pulled out a couple of pages with great difficulty, jabbing at a part before announcing, "From the mall chase, the two users were flaming each other, and one of them mentioned a ship sinking in Luin a couple of years ago. And you just said Loni-Kyle shirts were on sale in Luin during that time. What if they have something to do with each other?"

Now Regal was really stumped. Why was Gil throwing two topics that seemed like they had nothing to do with each other together? "Gil, I don't mean to be rude, and I certainly don't want to tell you how to do your job, but this doesn't seem right. How does a Luin shipwreck have anything to do with where Loni-Kyle shirts are being sold?" Regal questioned sceptically.

"The million dollar question, isn't it? It seems almost too remote, but there is a way to put them together," Gil explained, waving several documents in a row at the webcam, "All the people who died in the recent murders have blond hair, and they all wore Loni-Kyle shirts at the time of death. Even the user named Death Angel, who was our main suspect so far, met a similar fate under similar circumstances. You claim Luin has these clothes on sale, and a Luin shipwreck was mentioned by Pirate King, who was also in the mall during our chase. Can you see the stars aligning, Regal? Can you see where this is heading? Why don't you tell me about Luin's store?"

Regal took a deep breath, still unsure Gil's farfetched idea. Yet he wasn't a detective, so who was he to comment on Gil's investigation? Turning back to his notes, he gave Gil the full story. "The one in charge of marketing it before conglomeration was Rutee's own brother, a man named Leon Magnus. Both Stahn and Rutee work within his company. He was the one who I met with in our conglomeration efforts, whereby his company will be a subsidiary of Lezareno," Regal described, "I promised him I would take good care of his products, and in turn he agreed to do marketing for some of Lezareno's products as well. It was only then that the Loni-Kyle shirts managed to make a comeback. Otherwise, they were in the wilderness for years."

"So it was Leon's idea to have a branch selling the Loni-Kyle clothing in Luin, and at that time there was only one store," Gil murmured, his attention split between the Skype screen on his monitor and his papers, "You wouldn't know anything about that shipwreck that Pirate King mentioned, do you? Or is that outside your jurisdiction?"

Regal shook his head. "I'm only good when it comes to corporate and commercial stuff, not history about human disasters," he informed Gil apologetically, "I'll be more than happy to help you if you can narrow that down. But for now, all I can tell you is that Leon did open a branch in Luin, and it was most likely in business during the time of the shipwreck."

Just then, the phone on Gil's desk rang, snapping the staff sergeant's attention away from Regal. The Lezareno president looked on in silence for a few minutes, watching Gil speak discreetly into his mouthpiece. Regal wasn't sure what topic Gil was discussing, but it sure got him excited. Once Gil hung up, Regal asked the goateed man on the issue. "New lead?"

Gil nodded in excitement, the grin on his face now spreading from ear to ear. "I have to go now, Regal," he stated, organizing his pages once more, "My colleague from Archives found me some useful information, so I have another Skype teleconference to attend. I might as well bid you good night then. Take care, Regal. Don't go too crazy with your bunny pyjamas."

"What? Did Zelos tell you about that?" Regal demanded. One of Regal's secrets was that he wore pyjamas with bunny rabbits on them when he slept, something quite unusual when one considered the physique and status of the man. Zelos Wilder once saw Regal in said pyjamas, and knowing the redhead's big mouth, Regal knew it was a matter of time before all their friends knew about it. "Hey, don't make fun of my PJ's, you got that, Gil?" Regal warned.

Gil kept the grin on, waving his hand at the webcam before clicking the button to end their transmission. Once he shut his laptop down, he grabbed his notes and hurried to the unit conference room. Robert Ross was about to bring his own laptop in for another important call, one that he promised Gil would not want to miss for the world.

* * *

><p>"Sarge, I got the new lead for you," Robert greeted Gil, trying to prevent his laptop and a handful of documents from falling out his arms. Sensing Robert in trouble, Gil got out of his seat in his unit's conference room and helped the heavyset man out, grabbing several files and moved them onto the large table. "Thank you, but I still have to set up the laptop," Robert noted.<p>

Gil took a seat at the table once more, waiting for Robert to plug the laptop into the large projector. Yesterday, after Frank Warner had a close call with a flower pot, Gil managed to get some personal information out of their suspect. While the original intent was to get Warner to go into protective custody, Gil was more convinced that something else could be done with this new knowledge. "Bet you had fun with Oni at the mall. That was some aim with the flower pot!"

Robert glanced up with a wide grin on his face. Wagging a finger, he complimented Gil's willingness to allow the pranking. "Didn't I tell you that all rookies should be my jurisdiction?" Robert replied, "I told him if he didn't do what I said, I was going to tell his girlfriend how our young mage had a field day with a certain body part he loved to flaunt. He was hesitant at first, but when I told him that the Sages live close to me, he had no choice but to surrender. Seriously, thanks for informing me about Genis, or else it would have never worked."

"Well, he told me he was training with Genis, and when I called him he sounded like he was being tortured. There's only one way that Genis tortures people, so I knew what buttons to push," Gil described, thinking back to the talk he had with Raine two days ago, "Other than that, Lloyd and I went over all the emails Pirate King wrote to Peter Cook, and we're sending that to SIU for analysis. Hopefully that will back up whatever you have. So how did you get your lead?"

Robert finished plugging in the wire and turned on his laptop, crossing his arms as he waited for it to boot. "When you got Warner's full name and birthdate, it was like hitting the jackpot," Robert exclaimed, "As I told you before, the police can't do a random search, because that violates privacy. But since Warner gave you information somewhat voluntarily," Robert stated, his fingers doing an air quote at somewhat, "I can access the database. It turns out our renovator friend is not from Iselia. Instead, he's born in Luin, and still has records in that city."

Gil's eyes grew larger than plates. Why were so many things going through Luin? Waving his hand at Robert, he beckoned the heavyset man to continue elaborating. "I found out all records of Warner in Luin went by a different name. It appears he moved to Iselia and immediately applied for a legal name change," Robert added, gesturing his hands in excitement.

Gil bit his lower lip. Flipping through some files, he tried to compare the incident he had in mind with reality. "Lloyd told me that Pirate King mentioned a shipwreck off the coast of Luin two years ago," Gil pointed out, his finger pecking at the line in question, "Was Frank Warner, or whoever he used to be at that time, living in Luin then?"

Robert nodded, facing the login screen of his laptop. "Warner didn't move here until April of that year, and the shipwreck was in March. It'll be two years ago next week, if I recall correctly," Robert answered, typing in his password, "I won't be surprised if our suspect knew about it, or somehow had that incident affect him so much that he had to mention it."

Gil remained silent, too shocked at the details to comment. Robert clicked some keys on his laptop, making a new application show up on the big screen. "Since I grew up in Luin, having moved there while I was in elementary school, I still have some connections that I can call for help. Can you believe that my mother actually gave me some advice for this case?" Robert stated with a chuckle, much to the surprise of Gil, "I was in the office until well past five o'clock yesterday, but people in Luin were almost in bed, if not downright asleep. I had to wake my mom up to ask her about this shipwreck, you know."

Gil shook his head while chuckling slightly. "I think she probably wasn't too pleased," he responded, leaning back slightly on his chair. He missed this type of banter with his former colleague, and given the stress-filled days of the past week, it was probably for his own good. "If I remember correctly, you told me your mother was friends with Oni's girlfriend's mother. So are they colleagues at work or something? What do they both do for a living?" Gil asked.

Robert smiled. "Oni's girlfriend is named Elyria Hanyo. Both my mother and her mother are high school teachers, with Mrs. Hanyo teaching English literature and my mother teaching math," he stated, logging himself into the Skype application, "My mom told me she recalled the shipwreck because it was spring break, and some of the students in her class went sailing that year. One of those students was on a boat that witnessed the sinking, and his boat nearly went down too. He ended up suffering some facial injuries, and missed a couple of weeks of school."

Gil winced at Robert's description. He recalled how it felt to be injured, given he was shot in the leg while undercover. Being placed in a cast, and later on a brace, did him no favours, and only after months of physiotherapy did he get back in good shape. "Speaking of which, how did physiotherapy on your hands go? Is it still coming along?" Gil asked, pointing at Robert.

Robert nodded, thanking his former superior for caring. "The doctors say they'll never be at full strength, but at least I can grip and pull heavier things now," he reported, squeezing and relaxing his two hands, "Anyway, my mom tends to give out her email at the end of the year, so any student still wanting to keep in touch with her may. This guy and a few of his buddies are among those still writing to her, and she gave me his email address. I emailed him last night, asking if I could get him to do a teleconference. Lo and behold, he agreed to it. We decided on this time because it's morning here, but afternoon in Luin, which is when he's relatively free."

Robert clicked on the name on Skype, followed by the Video Call button. The usual calling chime echoed off the speakers as they waited for the call to connect. "I looked into the sunken ship this morning, accessing that via the cross-reference database with Luin. Guess who the ship's registered owner was? A guy named Aifread Van Eltia," Robert declared, dimming the front lights for the Skype call. The Archives officer now spoke from the darkness, calling out to the goateed man in the light. "You know how he's connected to Warner?" Robert asked.

Before Gil could guess, the Skype call was answered. From the large screen at the front, a young man appeared. He looked about eighteen years old, had unruly silver hair, shorter than Genis' hair but in a lighter shade. He had on a white leather jacket, and dark motorcycle gloves were adorned on his hands. The most striking mark was a scar on the right side of his face, with a horizontal cut above his eyebrow and a vertical one on his cheek. "So are you Mrs. Ross' son?" he asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and impatience, "What questions do you have for me?"

Robert extended the connection wire, pulling the laptop down to the table. Plopping into a chair to Gil's right, he focused the laptop webcam on them. "I'm Robert, and this is Sergeant Gil Irving," he introduced the goateed man to the teen, "We just want to ask a few questions regarding the shipwreck you saw a couple years back. Can you tell us your name first?"

The teen nodded. "My name is Senel," he stated in a clear voice, "Senel Coolidge."

* * *

><p>Wow. Lots of other Tales characters got involved here. Stahn Aileron, Rutee Katrea, Loni and Kyle Dunamis, and Leon Magnus from Tales of Destiny 1 and 2 all got mentioned, and Senel Coolidge from Tales of Legendia makes a cameo appearance at the end. I know Senel's face has a tattoo, not a scar, but I felt a scar better suits my purposes for having him here. What help will Senel offer in the investigation? How is Frank Warner linked to Aifread? And what connections do these events have to the killings and Gil's novel? Read on next time to find out!<p> 


	10. Secret Identity Revealed

Reviews for last chapter came from **AccessBlade**, **Mandrakefunnyjuice**, and **Emil C**. So we find out that Frank Warner has a connection to Aifread the pirate, and Senel Coolidge from Tales of Legendia is about to give a testimony. I want to thank **AccessBlade** for helping me work out Senel's rather "complicated" relationship with Shirley and Stella. And finally, an OC belonging to **No Pain No Gain **named Elyria Hanyo will show up in this fic. She's a half-elf who is Oni's girlfriend, and her traits are done in accordance to NPNG's requests. Appearance-wise, she's similar to Suki from Avatar, but has a bit of Sokka's sarcasm. Maybe this is what their daughter (if Sokka and Suki have a daughter) will be like in Legend of Korra? Anyway, let's get started!

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. **AccessBlade** owns Cameryn Lachance. **Fenrir of the Shadows** owns Azul Kharlan. **No Pain No Gain** owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.

* * *

><p>"Senel, I'm investigating a serial murders case in Iselia, but some evidence links to an event from a couple of years back in Luin," Gil explained. Gil still couldn't believe the stroke of luck when Robert found one of his mother's former students, who in turn had information to offer. Now, with Senel Coolidge in this teleconference, Gil felt a lot more confident about the case. "Can you tell me what happened in that marine accident?" he asked.<p>

Senel took a deep breath. Leaning his head into his webcam, he pointed at the two scars on the right side of his face. "I got these courtesy of that incident," he stated, gesturing at the lines, "It was spring break, and some friends and I were going on a boating trip off Luin's coast. One friend's parents own a motorized sailboat, and they invited a few others and me on board. We were just going off for the day, hoping to have a good time, when disaster struck."

Gil and Robert watched Senel rub his face while his body swayed back and forth. "There was a sudden spring storm coming our way, and the Coast Guard told us to turn back. I was with my classmate Shirley and her older sister Stella, whose family owns the boat. Their parents tried to start the engine again, but somehow it got stuck," Senel described, his voice slightly wavering, "We were sitting ducks when that storm hit, causing massive damage to the boat."

Robert rubbed his chin, all signs of his famous sarcasm disappeared. "I assume that's how you got the scars, right?" he asked glumly, his posture slouched over, "When that thing hit, your ship nearly capsized or something like that? And you ended up getting cut in the face?"

Senel bit his lower lip, struggling to form words. His emotions were like the rough seas he faced two years ago, throwing him back and forth and all about. "Our ship didn't capsize, but part of the mast collapsed, so I threw Shirley and Stella out of the way. One piece of the mast cut into my right eyebrow, and a severed line whipped across my cheek. That's how I got my scars, but that's not the only tragedy," Senel pointed out, lifting his head to show a set of watery eyes.

Robert and Gil both stared silently at the screen, watching Senel gently dab the corners of his eyes. "A large wave slammed onto the side of the boat after part of the mast fell, and Stella went overboard," Senel continued, "I reached down to grab her, and barely held on. The fuel tank was leaking, and some of that went straight into my hands, giving me chemical burns. It was the most painful experience I've ever had, but I did everything I could to not let go. Then, before anyone could move, another wave hit and we both got thrown overboard. A few people, including Stella's father, dove into the water to get us, but they only fished me out. Stella was nowhere to be found," Senel ended, a couple of sniffles echoing off the laptop.

Robert and Gil were silent, trying to envision the dangerous and scary scene. To have a person he cared for so much go overboard must be hard. Senel had to fight a bleeding face, arm fatigue, and chemical burns on his hands just to keep Stella onboard. Yet in the end, it wasn't meant to be, as Stella would not survive the incident. "I'm guessing that's why you wear gloves, right? You use them to cover the scars on your hands?" Robert asked, gesturing at Senel's hands, "And what about Stella and her family? Did her parents ever recover the body?"

Senel held his head with his left hand, almost in a prayer pose. "The Coast Guard got her body a few days later," Senel explained, anxiety oozing from his eyes, "I still remember Stella's last words before we lost grip. She told me to take care of Shirley, and that's something I can never get out of my mind. Even though her parents insist that it wasn't really my fault, I feel I still have to honour her dying wish. That's why the last couple of years saw my parents and her parents come together a bit more, as that incident brought us all closer."

Just then, Robert snickered. "No wonder my mom kept thinking you and Shirley were like siblings," he recalled, leaning back on his chair while showing off his trademark grin once more, "She told me when you came back to school after your injuries healed, she noticed you were all protective of Shirley. It got worse when she had you two in her math class again in your senior year last year. She said sometimes when a person even looked at Shirley the wrong way you would confront them on the spot. It was kind of hard to teach algebra and trigonometry when you were glaring at people halfway across the room, you know," Robert ended with a snicker.

Senel shrugged. "When Stella told me to take care of Shirley, it was something I took to heart," he insisted, rubbing his lips with a gloved hand, "I truly love Stella, even though we were never officially dating. So when that was her final wish, then it's only right that I become big brother to Shirley and help her in any way possible. I don't see anything wrong with that."

Gil interjected the conversation between Senel and Robert by waving another folder at the webcam. "Senel, if you don't mind me interrupting, I want you to describe to me what that other sinking ship was like. You did see something like that after, right?" he asked.

Senel rubbed his chin, thinking back to the chaotic scene. "After I was pulled up, I was put in a corner of the boat. My injuries were being attended to, and Stella's parents were calling the Coast Guard for help," he recalled, eyebrows now furrowed in thought, "That's when I saw a boat in the distance getting hit. I couldn't see clearly, thanks to the blood gushing out from my cuts. The right side of my face was so swollen that I barely saw anything out my right eye, but I did notice that boat was capsizing. I don't think anyone saw what happened, other than me."

Gil pursed his lips. While it did get him more information for the case, it wasn't a very definitive connection. What did Frank Warner have anything to do with that ship? "Bob here told me that the sunken ship was registered by someone named Aifread Van Eltia. Given that you and Shirley are in families familiar with sailing, do you know anything about this man?" Gil queried, showing Senel his page, "Is he a big name in the sailing organizations?"

Senel gave off a strange chuckle. "Aifread is what my parents, as well as Shirley's parents, call a crackpot," he responded with a tilted grin, "Aifread wanted to build a ship unlike any other, and was to sail in it that spring. He really thought he's a pirate captain off to a great adventure, and even recruited a crew. He's very irritable, getting aggressive every time someone even looked at his project wrong. I heard he even got violent with his crew sometimes, and would never admit to a mistake. I don't know about you, but I say he's out of his mind. Without sounding crude, I actually doubted his ship would survive, given how our ship was battered."

Gil turned to Robert, who was also flipping through his notes. Apparently, Aifread was not on the boat that day. "From the Luin police report, Aifread was pulled over by the police on a routine traffic stop. He became uncooperative and tried to flee, but was then arrested on the spot," Robert reported. His head bobbed up and down, alternating between reading the page and addressing Senel. "The arresting officer claimed a cadet leaving the local police academy tackled Aifread and held him until police arrived. No word on who the cadet was, but at least it's good to know that my old academy was still doing well. Did you know I was the cadet of the year when I was there? No wonder the arresting cadet was that dedicated!" Robert boasted to Senel.

Senel rolled his eyes. From beside Robert, Gil pointed out in a snarky tone, "If I told Senel how you became a flop after replacing me in my old unit, he would be rolling on the floor laughing." Shuffling his documents once more, he turned to Senel and thanked the young man for his help. "If we want you to add anything, we'll contact you again," he stated.

Senel waved goodbye to Robert and Gil before cutting the Skype connection. As Robert stepped up to disconnect his laptop, Gil asked, "So Aifread spent some time at the station while his ship sank, losing his entire crew. How does that connect to Frank Warner? I'm guessing Aifread is Frank Warner's old identity before moving away from Luin?"

Robert nodded. "Aifread moved to Iselia and changed his name to Frank Warner. If you assume he really is Pirate King on Lloyd's website, you realize it makes sense. The user name alludes to his wish to be a boat captain. He discussed the sunken boat to Death Angel, which he would have witnessed had he not been arrested. His current job as a renovator also somewhat links to his past too, given he has experience designing and building boats," Robert pointed out, yanking the wires out from the connection outlets.

Gil clacked his tongue. There was still one issue bothering him, and that was the presence of the Loni-Kyle clothing. Every deceased wore Loni-Kyle shirts and had blond hair, so why the obsession over this? Were Lloyd and Colette right in that the killer had a pattern in choosing their targets? "I think I'll have to give my friend a call," Gil decided, packing up his documents, "Bob, is it alright if you find out the details behind Aifread's arrest?"

When Robert didn't object, Gil left the conference room. He was about to head into his office to call Phoebe Brunel when Cameryn caught him. "Protection Services just called, and they say Frank Warner will come into the station today," she informed the goateed man from her desk, "They're wondering if you want to go to discuss protective custody with Warner."

Gil bit his lower lip. This could be a chance to flush some details out of Frank Warner, especially getting confirmation on several points from the man himself. "Tell them to give me a time, and I should be there," Gil replied, heading into his office. Right now, things were reaching a climax, and he could only hope that nothing went wrong.

* * *

><p>"To ensure your safety, an officer will escort you whenever you're out on your projects," the Protection Services coordinator, a balding bespectacled man, explained to Frank Warner. Unfortunately for Gil, Warner agreed to come in only at lunch time, claiming his projects kept him busy for the rest of the day. That meant Gil left the unit unattended, while the rest of his team went to the cafeteria with Robert. Right now, all Gil could hope for was no more delays.<p>

Yet leaving him relatively alone with Warner meant Gil could corner him on some points. After a meeting with his team before they went for lunch, Gil had several questions to add on top of the ones raised during the interview with Senel. While the car repair appointment and the university renovation team's forms justified Warner's presence at each place, it didn't eliminate him as a suspect yet. After further consulting his team on their assignments to find out more about Warner, Gil had a feeling something was amiss throughout. So, despite knowing that the sunken ship would touch a nerve with Warner, Gil was willing to run the gauntlet.

"Now, Mr. Warner, do you have any other questions?" the coordinator asked the red-haired renovator. Gil leaned his head forward, looking over the seated Warner's shoulder. The coordinator pulled some documents out from his desk, handing it across the desk for Warner to sign. As Warner scanned the papers, Gil debated how to confront Warner with the new leads.

Gil watched Warner grab a pen from the coordinator and scrawled his signature onto the final page. He handed the forms back to the balding man, who put them into a folder and got out of his seat. "I will speak with the officers to see when they can provide you with protection," he stated, "Right now, based on the schedules, the earliest they will come is Saturday."

Gil furrowed his brow. Why did they have to wait until the weekend? Tomorrow was Friday, so there had to be officers available to keep an eye on Warner. "Is there a reason why there is a day's delay with this operation?" the goateed man demanded, pressing a hand against the coordinator's desk, "You realize Mr. Warner is very important to our case, right?"

The coordinator nodded awkwardly, his lips stuttering as he informed Gil of the tie-ups. "Some of our officers are on leave this week, so we're short-staffed in terms of dealing with procedural and administrative matters," he explained, clumsily flipping through some other documents on his desk, "We're still hoping to protect Mr. Warner by Saturday, but it's unlikely we can push it any sooner. I'm very sorry for this delay, Sergeant Irving."

Gil pursed his lips and inhaled deeply. Turning a set of helpless eyes to Warner, the renovator was bound to think twice about accepting police assistance. Part of the reason Gil and Robert orchestrated the flower pot drop was to allow them to keep an eye on Warner. If Warner pulled out of protection due to what he felt was negligence, then the plan would go up in flames. "I assure you this is temporary," Gil described, leading Warner away, "Just let them sort it out."

Warner opted to just drag his feet alongside Gil, silently strolling through the hall. Before they reached the main entrance, Gil tried to provoke Warner. "Mr. Warner, I think you realize from the latest news that our last suspect, Peter Cook, was killed. Mr. Cook is an interesting individual, posting weird comments about my book on a website. It's quite coincidental that all the deaths mirror my novel. Do you agree?" Gil queried with a hint of sarcasm. His team called the hotel Cook delivered to prior to his death again, and their cameras caught an unauthorized person entering the electrical room. Did Warner black out the building so he could poison Cook?

Warner, slogging along on Gil's right, remained silent. "This killer made some difficult kills look so easy. But I find it odd that in a private email on the website, there was a reference to a sunken ship in Luin. I wonder what significance that may have?" Gil questioned, lifting an eyebrow and shooting a side-glance at Warner. Before lunch, Gil got a call from Jade, who confirmed that Pirate King went onto the website at the very computer Warner was at on the tape. It all but confirmed that Warner was the mysterious Pirate King that they were looking for.

It got a wave-like inhale out of Warner, who licked his lips gently. "It was quite a tragedy too, given the entire ship's crew went down. But from what I heard, the captain of the ship was not on board. In fact, he was arrested for a traffic infraction. I guess the cop who made the arrest could be considered his saviour, huh?" Gil commented, gently nudging Warner's elbow, "I know it sounds like I'm disrespecting the dead, but that captain really lucked out on that day."

Just then, Warner slowly turned to face Gil. The two men were about the same height, so Gil got Warner's icicle stare head-on. "Tell me, Sergeant," Warner began in a slow and ominous voice, "What do you know about sailing? Do you know what a captain's responsibility is?"

Gil shook his head, suddenly feeling a chill straight through his leather jacket. The Iselia native tugged on his sleeves, curiously watching Warner who paused his trudging completely. "A captain's job is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of his crew, and that means being there to guide them when the ship sets sail. Now, how well do you think the captain can lead if he's in a police interrogation room, fielding questions from aggressive officers while his crew was being battered by a storm? Care to comment, Sergeant?" Warner challenged, hands now on his hips.

Gil cocked an eyebrow. While he had dealt with many uncooperative people before, this one had a different ring to it. Warner seemed very passionate about defending this sunken ship, which was registered under his former alias. Would Warner reveal more if Gil pressed the issue further? "It is regrettable that this incident occurred, but you do realize the police have a role to play as well," Gil retorted, shoving his hands into his pants pockets and casually shrugging, "If all citizens cooperated with investigations and didn't run off like chickens without their heads, maybe this inconvenience wouldn't have happened. How embarrassing is it for someone to be tackled by a cadet who hadn't even graduated the academy yet?"

Before Warner could reply, a series of sounds echoed from the hallway. Gil and Warner both turned in time to see Gil's whole team exit the cafeteria, laughing and chattering along as they returned to their unit. "Done lunch already?" Gil called, gesturing at them.

Cabalina was the first to return the greeting. "Hey Sarge, we're going back to the unit to finalize those leads," she described, beckoning her teammates to stroll over to their leader, "Why is Mr. Warner with you? Did you want to ask him about those issues?"

"No, Mr. Warner was with Protection Services earlier. I just went to work out some final details before he gets an official escort," Gil answered. From beside him, Warner had a frown on his face, twitching and glancing around in a blatant expression of his agitation.

"Speaking of which, how does Protection Services work anyway?" Oni asked, his eyes darting around his team, "Do we have to watch Mr. Warner constantly, just to make sure no one jumps him? I mean, the only time I arrested someone outside of duty was when I was still a cadet in Luin, and that was totally out of the blue too…"

"Seriously, Oni," Azul chided his trainee, shaking his head at the blond half-elf, "We don't have to do that. Protection Services have their own officers to handle any threats directed at Mr. Warner, so just relax, will you? Don't forget that you have to train with Genis tonight, and tomorrow you're all by yourself. The kid's got a dance that's also serving as his birthday party."

"I wonder if you should show up at the dance, just so he can introduce you to his friends. And if you're wearing your Loni-Kyle shirt to the dance, like you're wearing it now, I would love to see what happens," Cameryn snickered, holding the unit door open for the others to enter. The friendly banter showed that despite this hard case, the team was not stressed at all.

Gil then turned to Warner with a huge smile. "See? You don't have to worry at all. My team is on the lookout for the killer, and it won't be long before we catch them for real," he guaranteed to Warner, "By then, we can release you from protective custody so you can go back to your work. Now, would you like an escort by yours truly to the front doors?"

Warner grunted, glaring through the open unit door before hurrying off. A blast of chilled air was all that was left when Warner headed down the stairs and out the station. By then, there was only one officer left in the hallway, and she wasn't particularly impressed with the scene. "You think he's up to something, Gil?" Presea asked, rubbing her hands together.

Gil pursed his lips. "You noticed too, huh?" he responded, tilting his head into the unit, "The second Oni started mentioning his training in Luin, Warner's face just went dark. It was like that comment ruffled his feathers or something. I'll call Bob later on to see if he has answers out of Luin for me. Until then, let's focus on the task at hand."

* * *

><p>"Thanks for having me up here, Phoebe," Gil stated, marching into an office on the top floor of Iselia General Hospital with the blond woman. Yesterday, before Warner came to the police station, Gil left a message on Phoebe's cellphone, asking her for help from the psychiatry unit. Luckily, Phoebe got the message during lunch break, and retrieved someone to advice Gil. She managed to call Gil before he got off work, asking him to come the next morning for a visit.<p>

"I know how important this is for your case, Gil," Phoebe responded, knocking on the large wooden door, "Frank, Colette, and I have all been paying attention to it, and we all want you to get to the bottom of it soon. Whoever this killer is, they're really terrorizing everyone."

A muffled voice told the two to enter, and Phoebe gently gripped the doorknob and pushed the door open. Behind a desk was a bespectacled man dressed in a beige shirt and a dark blue tie. The man's greying hair had Gil guessing that he was in his fifties. As Gil and Phoebe sat down on chairs before the large desk, the man was busy putting some documents away. If Gil didn't remind himself that this was a hospital, he would have thought the massive paperwork resembled his own office. "You are Sergeant Irving, correct?" the man asked, lifting his head to face Gil, "My name is Dr. Ken Thatcher. Phoebe told me you wanted my help on a case?"

The two men shook hands. Gil whipped out a manila envelope and pulled out some notes. "I think you've heard of the recent murders in Iselia, Dr. Thatcher," he explained, going through some details on the deaths, "My team found a pattern to the killings, in that they follow the exact order my novel's deaths occur. In addition to that, the killer seems to be targeting people with certain characteristics. I was wondering if you can comment on that."

Thatcher leaned back on his chair and scratched his chin. "Sounds like your suspect is quite obsessive with details, which may indicate obsessive compulsive disorder," Thatcher pointed out, describing the condition's background. Gil pulled out a pen and scribbled down notes, highlighting unreasonable insistence on doing things a certain way. "This person will get frustrated and angry at those who don't conform, leading to poor interpersonal relationships."

Gil nodded. Flipping a page, he showed Thatcher a couple of other issues. "The suspect also does some things that seem contrary to that disorder," Gil described, noting that Warner did not like to give details at the first interrogation with Cabalina, only to do the exact opposite when Cameryn met with him at the mall, "He didn't actually meet with my secretary until several phone calls after. In fact, he didn't even reply to them during the first few days. How do those fit into the situation that you mentioned earlier, Dr. Thatcher?" Gil asked.

Thatcher leaned forward and clasped his hands. "After hearing that, Sergeant, I think this may be in the realm of antisocial personality disorder, or ASPD," Thatcher commented, listing off some more traits of this disorder. Gil scrawled more notes on his page, suddenly noticing some pieces starting to fit. Things like using aliases and deception, aggression, irresponsibility in honouring agreements, all these were seen in Warner throughout the times they met. "Can you describe your suspect's behaviour when you or your team were around?" Thatcher queried.

Gil winced, recalling the limited but memorable times Warner came at his team. From being uncooperative with Cabalina, to refusing to answer requests to bring in his evidence, to getting aggressive twice, once at the mall with Cameryn and again on Gil yesterday, there was no end to the things he did. Yet, there was one set of stories that Gil wanted to focus on, namely the ones provided by Senel Coolidge. "Our suspect used to live in another city, and he was described as a reclusive weirdo. He was obsessed with building a ship, and even recruited a crew," Gil regurgitated Senel's testimony to Thatcher, including the details of Warner's dictatorial methods in treating his crew. "Senel basically called him a nutcase. What do you think about that?"

Thatcher pursed his lips, giving his mouth a gentle wipe. "It does sound like ASPD. Pending on what his history is like, this may be evidence to show that your suspect does have the condition," he replied, his eyes slightly wavering, "I know that sometimes, these people start off in a fragile mental state. Even the slightest event happening to them will lead them to developing these disorders. Do you know anything about his history that may indicate such an event?"

Gil flipped to the final page and showed it to the middle-aged doctor. It contained notes Gil wrote down from Robert's identity search, and it included the arrest made two years ago. It led to Warner being interrogated while his ship was struck by a storm. "He supposedly lost his ship and crew on that day," Gil stated sombrely, "Do you think that might have done it?"

Thatcher read the notes before slowly lifting his head back up. The sun seeped through the blinds behind him, creating a strange silhouette. "Research has shown that sometimes, an event may provoke one to go further down this path. If your suspect is upset by his crew being killed, then he may hold the police accountable for that. It may explain his aggression to your team during interrogation," Thatcher explained, his tone now more serious than ever, "Moreover, if he sees someone or something that resembles his past arrest, it may trigger the memory in his brain. Since those with ASPD have questionable morals, to the point where they don't conform to regular social norms like obeying the law, it may lead them to killing the triggering actor."

"Wait a minute," Phoebe interjected, sitting up straighter on her chair to the right of Gil's, "Are you saying this serial killer is actually a psychopath? And as long as something keeps triggering the memory of his arrest in his mind, he'll go on a rampage? How does one keep track of that, considering how he's been eluding police so far?" she asked, rubbing her arms in fear.

"Just because one has ASPD doesn't mean one is lacking in intelligence, Phoebe," Thatcher corrected the nurse, "The fact that this suspect designed a ship all by himself shows he has quite a bit of brainpower. It's the fact that he's impulsive and disregarding others that point to his ASPD, as shown by him ruling his crew with an iron fist. All in all, it's a complicated psychological situation, and it's one that cannot be treated easily."

The shadows through the blinds danced once more as Thatcher turned back to Gil. "If I have one piece of advice for you, Sergeant Irving, it's this," he stated, leaning his head forward and staring straight into Gil's eyes, "If you can identify what triggers your suspect into killing people, it'll make it easier to track and potentially arrest him before he can kill again. But time is of the essence, because you may never know when he'll be triggered again. If you don't find out about this trigger, Iselia residents will have another death facing them soon."

* * *

><p>"Yes, Raine, I'm coming out!" Genis hollered, turning off the shower and reaching for his towel. He dried off his body and straightened out his mullet-like hair with it before wrapping it around his waist, grabbing his old change of boxer shorts, and whipping the door open. His sister was outside, her arms crossed and an unimpressed look on her face. "Hey, I'm out, aren't I?" Genis retorted, throwing his hands up in annoyance.<p>

Raine sighed. "Genis, the dance is starting in fifteen minutes, and you're still not even dressed," the female half-elf sighed. Raine promised Lynn that she would drive her little brother to the community dance, but it irritated her to no end how Genis was so careless about this. "You're turning thirteen today, so at least be act a bit more your age? Being punctual to your events is crucial, you know," Raine stated, resembling how she handled her students.

"Raine, way to put pressure on the birthday boy," Genis muttered, stepping into his room and closed the door in Raine's face. Tossing the towel on his bed, he rummaged through his closet for a new pair of boxers and his usual clothing. "I'm getting dressed right now, and I'll be down in five minutes. Don't leave without me, okay?" he called to his sister.

Raine sighed, shaking her head before going down the stairs. Earlier, when Genis returned home from school, Lynn already bought all the ingredients for a cake. This was for when Genis returned from the dance, where the Sages could celebrate his thirteenth birthday at home. Both Lynn and Raine knew that this was extra special for Genis, as it might be the last time he could celebrate with his two best friends Lloyd and Colette. With both graduating high school this year, they might attend college elsewhere. With Genis' birthday being in the middle of the school year, they might not be in town for Genis' fourteenth birthday.

Raine plopped herself down on the living room couch and stared intently at the clock. From what Lloyd told Raine in a phone call earlier, Colette and him might be late to the dance. They would drive Genis back after the dance, where the cake would be ready for them all. It didn't help that Gil visited the hospital to speak with the director of psychiatry earlier today, and now wanted more of Lloyd's help in his investigation. Somehow, Raine had a feeling that Gil's case would only get more complicated, and would hit much closer to home than originally anticipated. Just what was the motive of this killer anyway?

Yet when Raine thought about it, this case said a lot about her friends overall. Lloyd had willingly gotten involved into the investigation, displaying calmness and being methodical and analytical along the way. Along with that, Colette was the one who originally came up with the idea to contact the suspect, albeit they targeted the wrong one. Both of them took another big step in their growth in this event. Out of their foursome, Raine saw herself as big sister to all of them, not just to Genis. Seeing them grow was like watching her own students achieve their potentials, and it made Raine happy to see them stand up for what they believed in.

"Raine, Grandma, can I get your advice?" Genis called from the stairs. Raine went to the staircase with Lynn, who came in from the kitchen. Upon arriving, they saw Genis standing on the bottom step, wearing only his navy blue slacks and his socks. His top was completely bare, and he held two shirts up to them. "Which one of these do you think I should wear?" he asked.

Raine rolled her eyes. "Genis, does it really matter? They're both blue shirts, and if I know you, they'll both go under your vest. Can't you just pick one?" she responded, shooting a teacher's death glare at her little brother, "You're wearing this to a dance and a birthday party. It's not like it's the last suit you'll ever wear. So why don't you just make up your mind?"

Even Lynn was slightly shaking her head at her indecisive grandson. Normally, Lynn was pretty loose and soft with Genis, allowing the boy to have reasonable freedom to live his life. As long as he didn't break any rules, Lynn was alright with whatever Genis chose. But this time, even Lynn thought Genis was being a bit too much. "If you can't choose, maybe just flip a coin or something. No point in delaying your sister anymore, okay?" she reprimanded Genis.

Genis' body literally deflated at that thought. "Fine, fine, I'll just flip a coin," Genis murmured, trudging back up the stairs, "I'll get dressed and be down here in a few seconds, so don't start the car without me, okay?" he reminded Raine before closing his door once more.

Lynn and Raine glanced at each other, smiling helplessly and shaking their heads. Genis was another basket case in Raine's foursome, having this notion that growing up should be done his way. As if his usual sarcastic remarks weren't enough, now Genis added mana manipulation to his traits. It just made this already awkward young half-elf even quirkier, as Oni once pointed out. Despite this, Lynn and Raine still believed that Genis was on the right path, albeit a different one than everyone else, in his growth. As long as they guided him enough, they doubted he could go astray. "I'll start up the car then," Raine informed Lynn.

Raine stepped into the garage and opened her gate, hopping into her Honda Civic and slid the key into the ignition. A minute or so later, Genis finally stepped out of the house, adjusting his shoes, zipping up his vest, and pulling his open-fingered gloves from his pockets. "Okay, let's go," he stated, slipping into the passenger seat and buckling his seatbelt. As Raine pulled out of his garage, Genis put his fingerless gloves on, the final pieces of his attire.

The drive to the community centre was uneventful, but Raine did speak with Genis on several issues. The main one was how Oni was coming with his spells, given Raine was still intent on researching Genis' belly shot. "Since I have the dance tonight, I can't really coach him. But he told me there's a pool at the basement of his apartment building, and he could go there to practice," Genis replied, "His girlfriend is a half-elf too, so he'll ask her if she's interested."

Raine nodded thoughtfully, relishing the idea of studying this unique technique. "Do you plan to teach it to anyone else? Maybe someone at school or something?" she queried.

Genis shook his head. "My two best friends are both humans, so they can't use mana like me," he answered, referring to Lloyd and Colette, "I have two other good friends at school, both of whom are coming to this dance, and they're both humans too. As for the guy who's always in direct competition with me for the honour roll, even if he's an elf or half-elf, I won't teach him even if he pays me," Genis spat, this time referring to Mighty Washington.

Raine slightly grimaced at that thought. Mighty was a human boy, but had a rivalry with Genis since elementary school. They always finished first and second for top marks in class, and due to that there was a bit of animosity between them. Sometimes Mighty made fun of Genis and his friends, and other times Genis made off-putting remarks back to Mighty in return. Either way, this rivalry wasn't ending soon. "Shouldn't you guys just let it go?" Raine suggested, "It's been almost five years since it started, so when will you guys stop?"

Genis shrugged. "I don't really care what Mighty thinks anymore. If he wants to say more crazy things, I'll just tell him to say it into my belly button," Genis retorted, giving his tummy a rub, "But if he steps out of line and starts insulting my family or friends, he's toast in a second. He'll realize that messing with my belly button is the biggest mistake he'll ever make," Genis concluded, rubbing his hands and grinning deviously.

Raine shook her head once more. "I just hope that if Mighty shows up at this dance, you don't cast a spell on him and end up destroying the community centre," she warned Genis, giving him the teacher's look once more, "I don't think you should get yourself into a lawsuit at this age. Your future is way too bright to be wasted on something that trivial."

Genis shrugged again. To him, this was going to be an unforgettable night. Even with Lloyd and Colette arriving late, he had a feeling a surprise would be waiting for him. Raine pulled into the final lane, the community centre finally in sight. Genis took a deep breath and prepared for whatever would come his way. He doubted he had to do anything crazy like casting a spell or getting into a fight with Mighty, but something told him tonight was going to be wild.

* * *

><p>"Okay Gil, what do we have so far?" Noishe asked, taking a seat across from his staff sergeant in Gil's office. Thanks to the ethics commissioner and other issues in Major Crimes, Noishe barely had a chance to deal with this case in the past few days. Now, hearing that Gil had some breakthroughs, the former Protozoan was eager to get some updates.<p>

"Well, let's start with Frank Warner's secret identity," Gil began, handing some sheets from a folder to Noishe, "From the archives, Bob found that Warner used to be called Aifread Van Eltia, and had a ship registered under his name at the Luin branch of the ship registrar. Two years ago, he was arrested by Luin police for a traffic infraction, and during the time he was at the station his ship sank, killing his entire crew. Bob said he'll get more detail into that for me."

Noishe nodded. He handed the file back to Gil, and in turn the goateed man pushed another one his way. "I also spoke with Dr. Ken Thatcher, the head of the psychiatry department at Iselia General Hospital today. I told him about some observations we made on Frank Warner, and Dr. Thatcher believes Warner may have a psychiatric condition," Gil reported.

"ASPD?" Noishe asked sceptically, a quizzical expression on his face, "So Frank Warner might not be just a regular killer, but a psychopathic one? How can this be possible?"

Gil pointed out all the observations listed on the sheet, all of which matched behaviour of someone with ASPD. "Dr. Thatcher said we have to find the triggering event that made Warner react violently," Gil explained, "If we can do that, then it's possible to limit the targets for his next kill. There's no telling when it'll happen, so we have to act soon."

Noishe clacked his tongue and cupped his chin. Somehow, he wasn't entirely convinced of Gil's move. "Are you sure we have enough evidence to show Warner is the one?" he asked.

Gil nodded. "The car repair appointment doesn't account for whether the van actually did break down at the camp. Warner could have made that up just to stay and saw off the chains holding the sign," Gil stated, checking his list of suspicious factors, "The renovation team's assignment sheet doesn't say if Warner went back to the site after everyone left. He has no evidence to his whereabouts when Ruffin was killed, but a camera caught someone resembling him entering Ruffin's dojo at that time. Jade confirmed Warner is Pirate King with the IP addresses. Sheena and Zelos both claimed someone resembling him was at crime scenes shortly before a death. And the camera at the hotel where Cook was killed caught someone resembling Warner sneaking into the electrical room. If that's not a trail of crumbs, I don't know what is."

"And that's why you and Bob insisted on the flower pot drop, right?" Noishe retorted, handing Gil back the file, "You guys were lucky the ethics commissioner wasn't around, or he would go ballistic. Seriously though, what is the inspiration for bringing him into protective custody? Is it, as you said, to watch him more closely?"

Gil nodded sagely. "With Warner out and about like that, it'll be harder to keep an eye on him. If he truly is the killer, here is a chance to watch for what triggers him," Gil described, pulling all the evidence together now, "So far all the victims are male, have blond hair, and wear belly shirts. But their histories seem very different from each other, so I'm guessing it may be the appearance that drove Warner crazy. So is there something about this look that affected him?"

Before Noishe could even respond, the phone on Gil's desk rang. Gil took one look at the ID and immediately pressed the speaker button. "Bob, it's Gil Irving. Captain Noishe is with me in the office, so if you have findings on Warner, let us both hear it," Gil requested.

"Sarge, Captain, you're not going to believe this," Robert's voice sounded off from the phone, the rustling of pages echoing from the background, "I called up Luin Archives to look up this arrest, and I found out who the arresting officer was two years ago. Remember I told you a cadet from the Luin Police Academy helped out? How about Cadet Oni Sheikah?"

Noishe and Gil stared at each other in shock. They both knew Oni lived in Luin and was trained there, but nowhere was it revealed that Oni was involved in this arrest. "Tell us what you know," Gil ordered, "How did Oni make an arrest when he was still a cadet?"

Robert chuckled from the other line. "Aifread Van Eltia was at a routine traffic check when he got impatient, claiming he was in a hurry. When officers told him to get out of the car, he ran off instead, leaving them chasing on foot," Robert recalled, "He ran right through the main entrance of the police academy, where a cadet heard the officers shouting for Aifread to stop. The closest cadet was our rookie friend, who just tackled Aifread and held him there."

Just then, Noishe interjected into Robert's story. "You said Oni was leaving the police academy when the suspect ran through. Do you know what he was wearing at the time?" he asked, "We know Oni has blond hair, but what was his fashion sense like two years ago?"

"Well, I don't have a time machine, so I can't tell you what he wore exactly," Robert replied sarcastically, "But I do know from Elyria that Oni was one of the first people to buy into the Loni-Kyle collection. Something about those shirts just resonated with Oni, and he's usually seen wearing them. I guess Oni might have worn that when he left the academy that day?"

"It might just be possible," Gil pointed out, flipping through another set of notes, "I went on Skype to do a teleconference with Regal Bryant. He told me the main store that marketed the Loni-Kyle did open a branch in Luin, and had those clothes in store two years ago. If Oni is the one to arrest Aifread, then Aifread may just blame Oni for the death of his boat crew."

"Male, blond hair, Loni-Kyle shirt, Oni fits the description of the targets so far," Noishe added, pointed at the pages spread across Gil's desk, "Aifread moves away from Luin, changes his name to Frank Warner, and goes from ship builder to renovator. He thinks nothing from his past will resurface, but then the Loni-Kyle gets remarketed by Lezareno. When all those other folks wore the clothing, it triggered Warner to think back when Oni tackled him."

"Let me point out one more thing," Robert chimed in from the phone, "Like I said earlier, Warner has the skills to pull off all these improbable kills. His background in ship designs means he uses all sorts of materials and chemicals, and his knowledge in things like metallurgy and electronics are helpful in executing each kill. But more importantly, he's a fan of the book Sarge wrote. I think he felt inspired by what went on, and wanted to play this twisted game with you."

"But if we go according to my book, he's onto his last kill," Gil replied, checking over the deaths once more, "We concluded that there was an inconsistency because Zelos claimed he saw someone resembling Warner kill Cook by placing cyanide in Cook's drink. This is not found in my book, so it's either he's moving away from my book's techniques, or he's trying to find the last target. In that case, it happens to be…oh no!" Gil exclaimed, covering his mouth.

Both Noishe and Robert were silent, looking on as Gil pondered the last point. "In my book, the killer was inactive for a while. Later on, the detective found out that the real target was his own assistant, who was kidnapped by the killer," Gil pointed out, his voice hoarse and his hands shaking, "Right now I think Warner has seen his target, who also happens to be someone I supervise. That explains why when Oni mentioned his training days in Luin, Warner's face just went dark. And with Protection Services busy until the weekend, Warner has enough time to take out his final target. He's pulling out all the stops to make me follow my book, that's for sure."

Immediately, Gil shuffled his notes around. "Bob, if you can, keep searching up info on Warner's Luin arrest," he ordered. Turning to Noishe, he requested his captain find Protection Services once more. "Tell them to get the forms all ready, so we can get Oni and Elyria to sign them. I'll try to contact our team to watch Oni until Protection Services is ready. With Warner now knowing who his target is and where he may be, we don't have another second to waste."

* * *

><p>"And…Fireball!" The fire from Oni's lighter flickered before squirting a few small flame spheres forward. Oni took Genis' casting method to heart, and was now practicing with it at the pool located at the basement of his apartment building. Wearing only a pair of blue trunks, Oni sat on a long lounge chair, placing various elementals near his navel and watching the results. While the spells weren't as dramatic as those cast by Genis, Oni was really getting the hang of it.<p>

"Are you still trying out that crazy casting technique?" a female voice called from the pool. Oni glanced up to see a young woman with her head above the water, leaning her torso against the side of the pool. The young woman had shoulder-length dark brown hair, and her hazel eyes gave off a mischievous twinkle. "That little kid really rubbed off on you, huh?"

Oni smiled. "Genis is quite a character, alright. I'm sure he's willing to teach you too, if you're interested. You're a half-elf, Elyria, just like me!" Oni exclaimed, waving his girlfriend over. Elyria Hanyo was the main reason Oni chose to apply to the Iselia Police Department, as she found a job related to her field of work in this city. Like Oni, Elyria was in her mid-twenties, and had an elven father. "I think neither one of our fathers can cast, right?" Oni asked.

Elyria dragged herself out of the pool and trotted over. Oni could see she had on a purple string bikini. The top was tied around her neck and back, while the bottom was tied at both hips. "Casting is okay, but there's something a lot more fun I'm looking forward to," she replied, standing before her boyfriend with a nonchalant pose, "Did you know they're releasing the latest DDR with full body motion? Maybe you should play along and cast your spells out your belly button with a dance. Won't that be fun?" Elyria suggested, swinging her body back and forth.

Oni wiped parts of his body, Elyria's dance spraying some water from her bikini onto him. Trying hard to stifle a laugh, he placed down the lighter and pointed out, "Sergeant Irving and Azul told me Genis was quite a dancer. When Sarge was on vacation in Altamira, Genis visited a dance studio with him to interrogate a suspect. I think he did some belly dance where he was rolling his stomach or something? Maybe he should dance along with you!"

"Huh, you think he can beat me at a belly dance? Not a chance!" Elyria retorted. She repositioned herself beside Oni's chair, her toned stomach right before Oni's face, before doing a version of a belly dance herself. "If Genis wants to challenge me, he'll have to contend with this. It's a special move I created all by myself," Elyria boasted, pushing her abdomen back and forth.

Oni turned to his left, almost getting the strings from the sides of Elyria's bikini bottom swinging into his eyes. The only things in his vision were Elyria's tanned skin, the purple bikini bottom, and the deep hole-like navel at the front and centre. It caused Oni to rub the edge of his navel, still getting used to the strange feeling of digging inside it. Just then, a strange smirk-like grin crawled up on Oni's lips. Could he turn his girlfriend into a belly button fanatic like Genis?

Reaching out with his hands, Oni placed one palm on each of Elyria's hips, hooking a finger through the strings on each side of the bikini bottom. "You are special, Elyria," he stated, the weird smile still plastered on his face, "At least you're more special than Genis, because I'll never do this to him." Before she could respond, Oni lunged forward. Pressing his face against her midsection, Oni planted his lips onto Elyria's belly button and blew a raspberry into it.

Elyria pushed Oni away and bounced back several steps. The female half-elf plunged a finger into the deep depression on her gut and swirled hard around it. "What did you do that for?" Elyria snapped, shooting twin hazel-coloured daggers at the laughing Oni.

"Well, Genis has a custom belly move for casting, and you have a custom belly move for dancing. I thought I should have my own custom belly move for kissing!" Oni replied, slapping the arm of the lounge chair in laughter, "Your face had the most priceless expression ever when I did that!" Oni concluded to another fit of giggles, watching Elyria clear the saliva from her belly.

Just then, Elyria balled her hands into fists and planted them onto her hips, a fake pout entrenched on her face. She certainly didn't expect Oni's move, given her boyfriend was a quiet and serious type. Yet she couldn't help but enjoy seeing Oni's lighter side, since it was stuff like this that made them a great pair. "Hey, you have no problems with me planting my lips onto your lips, so why are you against me planting my lips on your belly button?" Oni challenged, sitting up again and patting his six-pack abs, "You can do the same to me, if you want."

"Well, now I guess I know how much you really care about me," Elyria fake-fumed. Marching to the edge of the pool, she posed dramatically before stating, "Since the one I love never cared for me, I might as well end my life right here. Goodbye, cruel world." With that, she threw herself over the edge, falling into the water with a large splash that sprinkled onto Oni.

Oni chuckled at his girlfriend. Just when he was about to return to his spells, his cellphone shrieked at him. Oni snatched it from the nearby table, but was a bit surprised at the person on the ID. Pressing the receive button, he greeted the caller. "Hi, Sergeant Irving?"

"Oni, your life might be in danger right now," Gil replied amidst frantic flipping of papers, "We identified who the real killer may be. Do you remember two years ago, when you were still a cadet, you once tackled a suspect who was running from police?"

Oni replied affirmatively, his back now shooting up straight. Even the sarcastic Elyria paid attention, swimming back to the side of the pool and watching her boyfriend intently. From the call, Gil described Frank Warner, formerly known as Aifread Van Eltia, was a psychopath targeting people with similar traits as Oni, namely blond hair and Loni-Kyle clothing. The killing methods were from Gil's novel, and Warner was now on his last kill. "Warner saw you when he was with Protection Services that day, so he might target you," Gil warned, "If need be, we may send you and your girlfriend into protective custody. When will you guys be ready for the staff?"

Oni's face paled, goose bumps shooting up and down his bare body. "Sarge, this is really bad," he murmured just as Elyria pulled herself from the pool and trotted towards him, "Do I have to remove myself from the investigation or something? Is there anything I have to sign?"

"You can still investigate the case, since you will be protected at the station. But unless you have to urgently go somewhere, I recommend you stay at home and lock the doors," Gil responded, his tone flat and sombre, "We can have the forms for protective custody delivered to your home, as that's an acceptable procedure for Protection Services. Do you want us to do that?" Gil described, referring to the time this service was offered to Chocolat and her mother. Unfortunately for Gil, the Cult of Martel got to her before the police did, kidnapping Chocolat and Robert along the way. This time, Gil vowed not to make the same mistake.

Oni glanced at Elyria, who anxiously squeezed her towel in her hands. "Why don't I just very quickly come to the station and get all the info?" Oni replied, "That way, I can bring them home earlier to show Elyria. I'll return home in an hour, so I doubt Warner can ambush me."

Gil was hesitant in allowing that, but Oni insisted on that method. Quickly hanging up, Oni told Elyria to get changed and go back to their apartment. "Do not open the door for anyone until I'm back, okay?" Oni warned her, grabbing his towel and phone. He watched Elyria fetch her belongings as well, hurrying into the women's change room with a nervous expression. Without another thought, Oni headed into the male change room and took a quick shower.

The water rushing over his body did little to soothe Oni's uneasy feelings. Even as he stepped to the lockers, stripping off his blue trunks and retrieving his clothing from within, the paranoia was sinking in. As he dried his body once more and slipped on his white boxer briefs, Oni wondered what would happen next. With the killer making each kill so efficiently, and no one so far could stand in the way of his targets, it felt like nowhere was safe anymore.

* * *

><p>Well, another bombshell! What do you guys think about that? Warner used to be called Aifread, and Oni was the one who helped with the arrest that led to Aifread not being there when his ship sank. It's my take on the Aifread sidequest in TOS, albeit with a more sinister twist. Can Oni get out of this alive, or will Warner make his final kill a success as well? Find out next time!<p> 


	11. Capturing the Final Target

Big thanks to **Mandrakefunnyjuice**, **AccessBlade**, and **Wavebreeze** for the reviews. We're getting to the climax here, with Warner and his final target both identified. Look for quick cameo appearances by Chloe Device, an OC belonging to **Caro N** from her Pokemon and Digimon trilogy, and Mao, from Tales of Rebirth. Mao's a musical guy in that game, and I incorporated that here by having him write Genis an instrumental piece. The song is the Genis theme from TOS, and Mao himself will refer to the famous TOR running gag that most Tales fans are familiar with. On that note, we're ready to start!

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. **AccessBlade** owns Cameryn Lachance. **Fenrir of the Shadows** owns Azul Kharlan. **No Pain No Gain** owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.

* * *

><p>"Ladies and gentlemen, can I have you attention please?" the DJ called amidst loud dance music. The annual spring dance was always a draw with teens in and around the neighbourhood, and they often enjoyed this as a way to kick off spring break. But today, there was something extra special for a certain attendee, and the DJ was about to reveal it.<p>

"I have here a special request by someone who wrote a piece of music on their own, and wanted me to play it tonight," the DJ explained, the music from the speakers now simmering, "I was told this was dedicated to a friend of his who is celebrating a birthday today. Without further ado, I want to introduce this special musician. Please give it up for Mao Orselg!"

A youngster with red hair and red eyes took the stage to great applause. He had on a sky blue jacket, marine blue slacks, and ocean blue sneakers. Taking the microphone, he glanced at the crowd with thoughtful but energetic eyes. "Today, my good friend is turning thirteen. We met last year when I first moved to Iselia, and I was really thankful for his help and support in fitting in," he described, scanning the audience for the birthday boy, "Since I have a musical background, I thought I'd write up something for him. It's pretty short, only about two minutes long, and it has no lyrics. But it's pretty good for dancing to, especially considering how he's a pretty quirky dancer. So here's to wishing you a happy birthday, Genis Sage!"

The crowd roared and clapped in approval. Grinning shyly, Mao stepped back and handed the DJ a CD. With the DJ inserting it into place, Mao hustled back to an area to the left of the DJ, where his two friends were waiting for him. "You wrote a song all for me? That's amazing, Mao! Thank you for such a great present!" Genis exclaimed, giving Mao a high-five.

Mao smiled sheepishly again. Like Genis, Mao was in the eighth grade, but was nowhere near as outgoing as the half-elf. Many people viewed Mao with hesitance, almost fearful that Mao had some deep dark secret. While Mao didn't say much about his personal life, Genis felt people shouldn't be so judgmental about him. Because of that, Genis decided to help Mao adjust to the new school and city. "It's only right that I help you out, since so many people helped me in my life," Genis recalled telling Mao back then. Happily for both boys, they became good friends.

Just then, a very tropical theme aired through the speakers, surprising most dancers present. The song sounded more like it should be played at a tropical resort rather than a spring dance. "Spring break means vacations, and after that, summer is on the way," the DJ declared over the song, "Why not liven things up with Mao's summer-themed song?"

People around soon got into a groove, most of them doing freestyle dances. Genis also went into dance mode, stretching out his arms and holding his thumbs up. His arms alternated going up and down while his legs were slightly crouched. "Hey, not bad," he commented, grinning at Mao, "Definitely something with a kick in it. You dancing along, Chloe?"

The girl standing next to the two boys swayed along to the music, but barely lifted her feet. Like Mao, Chloe Device was a new student, arriving just this school year. She was fourteen and in ninth grade. Like Mao, she said little about her personal life, but soon befriended the two boys. "I'm staying a bit more low-key," she replied, fixing the gold headband on her dark hair.

Genis shrugged. He switched his random dancing style again, this time pretending to hold a comb and slowly preening it through his unruly hair. As the silver-haired boy continued his dance, Chloe turned to Mao and asked, "Why is it that you and Genis are in the same grade even though he's a year younger? I thought Genis never skipped a grade."

Mao shoved his hands in his pockets nonchalantly. "Genis told me he was offered a chance to skip a grade, but he and his grandmother declined it," he replied, his red eyes tilting in thought, "The reason he's a year younger than me is because he never attended pre-school before kindergarten. So technically speaking he didn't skip a grade, because pre-school is before school, but he did skip something, since he started kindergarten one year younger than everyone else."

"Starting one year before everyone else," Chloe quietly remarked, "I wonder if that's what led to Genis' weird sense of humour." Even though she, Mao, and Genis were good friends, there was still so much she didn't know about them, and so much that they didn't know about her. One of these days, Chloe swore to find a way for all three of them to talk more openly of their pasts. Turning back to Genis, Chloe couldn't help but laugh at the half-elf's new dance. "It's the trademark Genis Sage move, right?" she pointed out, winking her royal blue eye at him.

Mao turned as well, and couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. Genis unzipped his vest and lifted his shirt underneath. He stuffed a finger into his navel and did a belly roll, pulling and wiggling the deep depression along with the music. "Belly dance for the belly button fanatic," Mao stated, pointing at Genis' abdomen, "Seems almost suitable, doesn't it?"

Genis stared up, a smile on his face as well. "The belly button is our first birthmark, courtesy of our umbilical cords being snipped off. What better way to celebrate a birthday than to do the belly button dance?" he explained sagely, not missing a beat with his belly roll, "Hey, isn't your birthday coming up soon, Mao? You're turning fourteen next month, right?" he asked.

Mao nodded sheepishly, slightly rubbing the back of his own head. "Don't tell me you plan to write a song too," Mao stuttered with a chuckle. By now, Chloe was with them again, only opting to glance at Genis while tapping her chin with a fingerless-gloved hand.

Genis smirked. Stopping his belly roll, he let his shirt fall back down, but kept a finger inside his navel. "I'll have something planned for you on that day, but you just make sure your belly button is front and centre, just like mine is today," Genis warned, pointing at Mao's gut.

"Do I have to?" Mao hissed, slowly lifting up his shirt as well. Unlike Genis, Mao did not have a concave navel. In fact, the skin that supposedly dipped in protruded out, but did not exceed the abdominal skin around it. "My belly button is halfway between innie and outie, or an in-betweenie," Mao stated, gently pinching the protruding part, "Will people see this as odd?"

Before Genis could even roll his eyes, Chloe beat him to the point. "Mao, why are you so worried about how people view your belly button?" she retorted, placing her hands on her hips, "You should be proud of who you are, regardless of how people feel. Besides, if you want weird bellies, you should check out my boyfriend's trick. He's a natural innie, but can somehow turn that into an outie at will. Even today, I have no idea how he does that."

Genis' eyes widened. Chloe's boyfriend was in the same grade she was, and was part of the local soccer team. Genis and Mao had only met him once or twice, but never in Genis' mind could he imagine such a crazy trick like that. "So he's both an innie and an outie? How does that work?" he demanded, lifting his shirt once more and quickening his finger's jabs to his navel.

Chloe shrugged. "I can never really see how he does it, but somehow he can pull out the innie part and make it stay an outie for as long as he wants. I'm just surprised he hasn't given himself an umbilical hernia because of that," she pointed out in a sarcastic tone. Glancing at Genis, she could see his face turn pale, which only made Chloe chuckle. "Speaking of friends, shouldn't Lloyd and Colette be showing up soon? They are coming tonight, right?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Genis replied, removing his hand from his belly button. He slipped it into his pants pocket and yanked out his cellphone. "They told me they would be a little late, since Lloyd has to help his dad with a police investigation. Mr. Irving is at the station, and he wants Lloyd to email something to him. But seeing the time right now, I think they should already be here. Should I call them?" he asked, tilting his eyes between Chloe and Mao.

Genis' two friends glanced at each other. "I suppose it doesn't hurt," Mao suggested with a shrug, "I think you should call outside the hall, since it's pretty loud in here." Mao gestured at the DJ, who just finished Mao's tropical musical earlier and placed in another dance beat.

Genis hissed through his teeth. While he understood Gil had an important case, it was still kind of frustrating that Lloyd and Colette would be delayed by this much. Not only were they missing out on a great dance, Lloyd was also Genis' only source of transport home. Mao and Chloe both had their parents pick them up, but Genis was with Lloyd and Colette because he invited them to his house afterwards for a birthday cake. "Do you two want to tag along as well? I'm sure Grandma would love to have you around," Genis offered, waving his phone at them.

Mao and Chloe both seemed unsure. Since both had their parents picking them up, they would have to make alternate plans. "Why don't you call your grandmother after you call Lloyd and Colette?" Chloe responded, with Mao nodding alongside her, "That way, if your grandma says it's okay for Mao and me to come, then we can call our parents and tell them to pick us up at your house. Lloyd's okay driving the five of us to your place, right?"

Genis rolled his eyes. "Knowing Lloyd, he'll probably complain about gas again." Even though he drove a fuel-efficient MINI Cooper, Lloyd could be quite the cheapskate when it came to gasoline. Last summer, when Lloyd took Colette and Genis on a road trip, they ran into Raine and Sheena in another city. Raine asked Lloyd to drive her to another town for extra research, and Lloyd grumbled the whole way about how much gas it would cost. "Anyway, I'll call Lloyd, and then Grandma. If Grandma says yes, then you can come over for cake, okay?" With that, the silver-haired half-elf bounded out the dance floor, heading out the doors and into the brisk night.

* * *

><p>The surprisingly chilly wind whipping at Oni's leather jacket barely did anything to take his mind off the dangerous dilemma. Oni was at the pool at the basement of his apartment building with his girlfriend when Gil called, claiming that Oni's life was threatened. Gil finally identified the serial killer they were pursuing, and he used to be a man that Oni tried to arrest back when Oni was still a cadet in Luin. Now, knowing the killer was a psychopath trying to identify Oni with his clothing, the only option was to get into protective custody immediately.<p>

The roar of the motorcycle's engine did little to calm Oni's nerves, his pulse going faster than ever and goose bumps shooting up and down his arms. The killer, Frank Warner, could be on the loose right now. There was no telling what would happen if Warner found Oni, only knowing that Oni would be subject to some crazy killing method. "Had I known better, I would have bought a copy of Sarge's book and read it," Oni muttered.

Turning into a community zone, the rookie officer glanced at his surroundings before making a right turn. Other than streetlights and some isolated lighting from the few buildings nearby, not much was illuminated here. If he recalled correctly, Genis had a dance tonight, and the community hall holding it was nearby. Oni would love to drop by, but that wouldn't work tonight. Focusing on the road once more, he turned his bike to the direction of downtown, where the police headquarters was. The sooner he could get the information back to Elyria, the better.

Then, from the darkness to his left side, a large white van came up to the lane against his. Oni couldn't see the driver was or the license plate, but the larger vehicle took a dangerous lean towards him. Reacting quickly, Oni tilted hard to the right, edging closer to the sidewalk while shooting the van a look darker than the night. The last thing Oni wanted was to be delayed by a reckless driver. Was this guy drunk or something like that, driving in such a crazy way?

Oni barely had any time to contemplate that thought, as the crazy driver swerved his way again. Oni tried to brake and tilt at the same time, this time nearly going onto the sidewalk and knocking over a couple of newspaper dispensers. At this rate, it wouldn't be Frank Warner who would kill Oni, but this lunatic in the white van. Tilting once more to avoid another hit, Oni felt enough was enough. "Why don't I call for backup from the traffic team?" he murmured.

Yet Oni was unable to make this move. The van made its most unpredictable move of the night, speeding past Oni and violently zipping into his lane. Positioning itself right in front of the motorbike, the white van braked immediately. Oni could only brake hard in reaction to that, losing all concentration on the road and letting his motorbike wobble in an unbalanced way. Before long, the bike toppled to the side, sending Oni sprawling onto the asphalt pavement. Had it not been for the thick helmet he wore, Oni swore his head would have cracked open by now.

With pain throbbing from all parts of his body, Oni could barely move his arm, struggling to pull off his helmet. From his blurred vision, the van grinded to a halt before him, an ominous figure stepping out from the driver's side. Like a beast stalking its prey in the night, the strange figure reached over and turned off the engine to Oni's motorbike. As he continued to approach, Oni saw the man pull a bottle from his pocket. "That's not chloroform, is it?" Oni muttered.

Soon, Oni got a chance to find out in person. The figure threw the half-elf to the ground and placed a knee on his back, keeping Oni completely immobile. He placed the bottle on the ground next to Oni and ripped the helmet off Oni's head, almost decapitating the rookie officer. "Who are you? What do you think you're doing?" Oni roared, struggling from his helpless position to break free. From on top of him, Oni could hear the bottle being snapped open, with the dripping of some liquid following that. "Let me go, now!" Oni yelled again.

There was no response. Before long, the rancid smell of chloroform filled the air, and one arm slowly wrapped around Oni's neck like a boa constrictor. Oni could barely holler when a wet cloth smothered the lower half of his face, covering his mouth and nose and sending the putrid chemical up his nostrils. Soon enough, Oni's breathing became shallow, his eyelids heavy, and his entire body relaxed. Darkness and unconsciousness soon descended over his body.

"Fireball!" a voice from afar shouted, followed by three bright orange spheres slamming into the area. Oni felt the weight lifting off his body, even though the chloroform already started working on him. Oni barely peeled his eyelids upward when he saw a figure smaller than the one who attacked him approach. "Are you alright?" the recognizable voice of Genis Sage called, placing a hand on Oni's shoulder, "Oni? What happened here? What's going on?"

Genis barely got a chance to check before he too was thrown to the ground, the attacker sending him a few metres in front of Oni. Undaunted, Genis popped back up concentrated on the ground near the attacker's feet. "Icicle!" he shouted, sending frozen blades shooting from the cement. The boy hoped to freeze the attacker's feet in place for just long enough to let him call the police. "I can't waste any time here," he murmured, whipping out his cellphone.

While waiting for the call to connect, Genis tried to check on Oni's condition. His police officer friend now had a dazed look on his face, almost like he was confused as to where he was. Genis realized he couldn't just leave Oni here with the attacker, but also figured Oni would be too heavy to drag to somewhere safe. Wringing his free hand in frustration, the silver-haired half-elf racked his brain. "This isn't supposed to happen," he muttered anxiously, wiping his mouth with a fingerless-gloved hand, "Why didn't I ask Mao and Chloe to come out too?"

Just as the operator answered, Genis quickly described his situation. "Yes, my friend is unconscious and being attacked. I'm standing across the street from the community hall right now," he explained, giving the address of the community centre to the operator, "I can't drag Oni back to the hall with me, and the attacker is still nearby. I want your help…"

Genis didn't get a chance to finish. A quick chop to the side of his neck soon made the pre-teen lose consciousness, his body hitting the asphalt like a sack of potatoes. With the boy out of the way, the attacker picked up the chloroform-soaked cloth and smothered Oni's face once more, knocking the rookie officer out cold. The only sound heard was the operator calling for backup from Genis' cellphone as the two unconscious individuals were thrown into the van.

* * *

><p>"Sergeant, all we have here are a motorcycle and a cellphone," an officer reported to Gil, who silently observed the disturbing scene. After receiving a strange call from a cellphone, 9-1-1 dispatch sent a patrol car into the area, with the only knowledge being there was an attempted abduction. Yet by the time the officer got there, the scene was surprisingly clean, with nothing more than the two stated objects lying harmlessly on the ground. What strange event was this?<p>

One look at the motorcycle's license plate and Gil was suspicious, something about the numbers and letters reminding him of something. "Did dispatch say who was taken? Can we run a check as to who has this license number?" Gil asked, his eyes boring straight into the plate.

Before the officer responded, the lost cellphone rang. Gil glanced through the transparent evidence bag the phone was in, and the caller ID shocked him. Pushing the phone's receiving button through the bag, he placed it next to his ear. "Hi Lloyd, how do you know this number?"

"Dad, what's going on?" Lloyd retorted from the other line. From the earpiece through the plastic bag, Gil could hear that Lloyd was most likely behind the wheel, courtesy of that distinctive low hum from Lloyd's MINI Cooper. "I'm on my way to the dance right now. How come you have Genis' cellphone? Is Genis with you right now?"

Gil's face paled. So Genis was the 9-1-1 caller who disappeared. Was he taken alongside the original target? Gil racked his brain, thinking hard about where he last saw the motorcycle license plate. Years of undercover work trained Gil to observe and analyze even tiniest details, and right now he was really put to work with the license. "Actually, I think I see you," Lloyd continued over the phone, "Are you with the police cars? I'm pulling up behind them right now."

Gil looked up just in time to see two headlights screech to a halt behind the cruiser, followed by two teens stepping out from both sides of the vehicle. The emergency lights on top of the cruiser did just enough to illuminate the worried looks on the faces of Lloyd and Colette. "Is everything alright? What happened to Genis?" Colette asked, tugging on her jacket.

"Lloyd, Colette!" another voice called. Gil turned to his right and saw two younger teens trotting across the road. One was female, had dark hair, and wore a light blue jacket, dark open-fingered gloves, and a gold headband. The other was male, had red hair, also wearing a blue jacket, along with blue slacks and sneakers. "We were wondering when you'll show up. In fact, Genis stepped out of the hall just to call you," the girl, Chloe Device, informed the group.

"Genis wanted to invite us to his house for the birthday cake, and since you're the driver, he wanted to ask if you can give us a lift too," the boy, Mao Orselg, added to Chloe's words, "He stepped out to call because it was so loud inside, but he never came back in. Chloe and I got worried, so we came out, and now this happened!" Mao exclaimed, gesturing at the police cars.

Lloyd and Colette looked at each other, their cheeks tense with stress. "Genis didn't call either one of us," Colette replied, rubbing her hands together anxiously, "Lloyd was just about to call him to tell him we're on our way, but then Mr. Irving picked up."

Four sets of eyes turned to Gil, who studied the phone with great interest. He scrolled through Genis' call log, and found that the last call was a 9-1-1 call. "So Genis called the police regarding the abduction only to get abducted as well?" Gil wondered aloud, "I'll have to call up my team and any other available officers for help. Plus, we still have to find out if the owner of that bike has anything to do with this. Is that person the culprit, or maybe got taken with Genis?"

Just then, an officer came by and tapped Gil on the shoulder. The goateed staff sergeant stepped away from the teens, leaving the foursome to stew in their own thoughts. "With the way the speakers were blaring inside that community hall, I doubt anyone could hear Genis cry for help, if he cried for help," Chloe pointed out, cupping her chin in thought.

"Unless you're like my friend Veigue Lungberg," Mao chimed in, a sly grin on his face, "Veigue's girlfriend is named Claire Bennett, and every time she gets in trouble or something, Veigue will scream her name on the top of his lungs. I bet if Veigue was the one out here, and Claire was being dragged off, he'd yell so loud that even the DJ would stop his music."

Mao's silly grin was soon wiped off his face, courtesy of three sets of glares. "Not funny, Mao. Our friend is in danger here!" Lloyd hissed through clenched teeth. The brunette was most worried about how Lynn and Raine would take it. Whether it was fighting Cruxis, or Raine using herself as bait to catch a killer in Altamira, or even Genis using his belly shot against an assailant in his backyard, the Sages were a cohesive bunch. The only time they were apart was when Lynn had an Exsphere in her body, and like Colette, it mutated her into a monster. Genis was forced to subdue his own grandmother with mana spells, and Lloyd could still recall the devastated look on Genis' face when the hospital staff took Lynn into isolation. Seeing how much grandmother and grandson meant to each other, how could anyone of them break this news to Lynn?

Just then, Gil marched back to the teens, all colours flushed from his face. "The officers just ran a license check on that motorbike, and they found it belongs to Oni Sheikah," Gil told the group, a shaking hand lifting to scratch his goatee, "I was waiting for Oni at the station to hand him some documents on protective custody. We believe that the serial killer is going to target him next. But right now, it looks like the killer might have beaten us to him."

All four teens looked like their guts were rammed by a dump truck. Could Genis and Oni be at the mercy of a psychotic killer? While Mao and Chloe were not informed of the case, they heard enough from the news to know about these mysterious deaths. "We got to do something," Colette fretted, her arms shaking weakly like jelly, "Is there any way to locate those two?"

"If we go according to my book, the killer is onto his last kill," Gil stuttered, wiping his mouth nervously, "The killer went back into his comfort zone, where he could access the things used to kill his targets. If Warner has Oni and Genis, there's only one place where he could be." He then requested the teens to give the officers any information on Genis prior to the half-elf stepping out of the hall. "Tell them what he did, what he wore, when he stepped out, how long he was gone for," he ordered to Mao and Chloe, "Meanwhile, I have some phone calls to make."

The four teens made their way to the officers while Gil stepped aside. Whipping out his cellphone, he rifled through his call ID list and pecked out the appropriate numbers. Never did he expect his case to go out with a bang the way his novel did. But if Frank Warner wanted to play this game this way, then it was time to break out the big guns.

* * *

><p>"Ugh, where am I?" Oni murmured, a wave of pain washing over him from head to toe. The last thing he recalled before blacking out was a white van trying to sideswipe him on his motorcycle. Everything after that was just a blur, with him falling off the motorbike and then someone covering his face with a putrid cloth. Now, he was in a fairly dark room, his whole body throbbing with pain, and wasn't sure if he was even safe.<p>

Fighting his aching head, Oni turned with great difficulty. Just then, he realized he couldn't move his hands, courtesy of his wrists being bound together behind his back. "What the…" Oni muttered, struggling to separate his hands. It proved to be impossible, with the ropes holding together tightly. The blood soon rushed in and out of Oni's face, his breathing now more frantic and shallow. Glancing around the dark room, was there a way out of here at all?

Oni's eyes soon stopped on a figure a short distance away. The darkness smothered most of the person's features, but Oni could make out some traits. Lucky for Oni, his feet were not bound, and his body wasn't tied to anything. That meant he was at least mobile enough to reach figure. "Hey, are you okay?" Oni asked, trudging over to the fallen figure, "Can you get up?"

One look at the smaller figure and Oni's heart nearly popped out of his chest. The unruly silver hair, the blue fleece vest, and the dark open-fingered gloves gave it all away. For some strange reason, Genis Sage was captured alongside him, and was now lying unconscious in this room. "Genis?" Oni gasped, his body turning into jelly, "What on earth is going on here?"

Before Oni could do anything to check on his young friend, two arms gripped him by the shoulders and violently hurled him back. It was like the worst case of whiplash Oni had ever experienced, adding to the already present pain over his body at the time. Yet Oni barely had time to holler out when a gun was placed right in from of him, the barrel tauntingly waving between his eyes. "How about a cop who gets killed by his own gun?" a voice sneered.

Oni could feel beads dripping down his temples. Slowly lifting his eyes, he saw a man with shoulder-length red hair, wearing a workman's vest and cargo pants standing before him. "You're Frank Warner," Oni stuttered, tensing his arms to stop himself from shaking, "What is the meaning of this? Why did you bring me here? Let me go at once!"

Warner said nothing, only rearing back slightly before bringing the arm holding Oni's gun down. The blond half-elf got pistol-whipped straight to the face, the numbing sensation from his cheek enough to blur his vision. "You think you can escape me? For two years, you haunted my memories," Warner spat, leaning his face close to Oni's, "Had it not been those four people with their terrible fashion sense reminding me of you, I wouldn't even be here. Now I have you right where I want you, why will anyone think I'm willing to let you off the hook?"

Oni's face paled once more. "So Sarge was right then," he exclaimed, his voice a mix of astonishment and fear, "You're the one who killed those four people. What gives? What have they ever done to you to deserve death?" Oni demanded, scooting back against a wall.

"What have they ever done to me? Nothing, except for the fact that they're all scum of the earth," Warner snapped, inching closer to Oni. The renovation supplier now towered over the rookie officer like a falcon ready to dive-bomb its prey in the fields. "Starting with the first guy, John Walker, who cheated on his own wife and tried to break up another's family…"

_"Lloyd, Colette, Genis, you three head to the cabin first. I'll join you guys later," Raine instructed the threesome while inspecting the scouts' injuries. The weak floorboards gave way when the scouts filed out from the campfire. From a distance, Warner observed Raine escort the injured to the main lodge, while the most senior scout leader and Walker debated how to fix up this mess. With the wind howling in from the coast, it would not be an easy task to do tonight._

_ But Walker stormed off anyway, heading to the direction of the shed. With the scout leader ambling back to the main lodge to check on his scouts, Warner took advantage of the empty scene and approached the sign. He had been in the area for the past few days, supplying Walker with materials and helping with renovation. Even though he didn't know Walker well, Warner heard enough about the scouts camp maintenance manager to know he was a scumbag. Throughout the week, Walker called his wife nonstop, claiming he still wanted her in his life and that the transgressions didn't mean anything. "Jacob Horace beat me for no reason. Will you take his word over mine?" Walker once told his wife in a phone conversation Warner overheard._

_ Yet what got Warner most upset was the way Walker was dressed, wearing that crop top shirt whenever he was working. Walker claimed it was the best way to let perspiration out and not have it stick to his body, but it reminded Warner too much of the incident in Luin, when that cadet tackled him, allowing Luin Police to arrest him. That cadet wore a nearly identical style, and even today Warner blamed the cadet for the deaths of his ship's crew. Now, seeing such a style making a return, worn by someone as sleazy as that cadet, Warner decided to take action._

_ The red-haired supplier climbed into the bushes and took out a small blade. Feeling the chains that held the sign, Warner could tell that they were quite old and weak, mainly the result of wear and tear by Mother Nature. That would mean these chains would not be hard to cut, as evident but some rust that were rubbed off without much effort. Judging by the way the wind blew tonight, this was Warner's perfect opportunity to make his move._

_ It took Warner about twenty minutes in total to find the weakest link in each chain, sever one side of each chain link, and keeping the other side intact. Climbing out of the bushes, Warner checked his watch once more before heading back to his van. Originally, he checked out of the campsite about half an hour ago. But if it meant wiping the disgusting family destroyer John Walker off the face of the planet, then this delay was definitely worth it. Warner peeked in the direction of the storage hut again, seeing Walker still going through some equipment. Right now, only the weather could affect this plan's success, and Warner could only hope the winds were as powerful as the ones that swept away his crew._

"You killed John Walker all because he tried to steal someone's wife? Are you out of your mind?" Oni blurted out, his heart pounding so hard that his ribcage could feel the tremors, "It doesn't even affect you. It's not like he stole your wife or something."

That comment only earned another pistol-whip from Warner, who kept the emotionless face on. "Anyone trying to undermine group loyalty is out," Warner spat, the gun still pointed at Oni, "That's the message for my crew when we were building my ship. Anyone questioning me was showing disloyalty, and they would be gone. But even those who were loyal ended up losing their lives too, courtesy of that Luin storm. That's something you would know about, correct?"

Oni took several deep breaths, trying hard to keep his head on straight. He was now pretty much in a corner, and he wasn't sure which would envelope him first; the darkness, or Frank Warner. "What about the second death," Oni pointed out, his eyebrows wavering in fear, "The one at the university with the TA, Andy Linton. Why did you make that kill?"

Warner snorted. Standing up slightly straighter, his arm relaxed a bit, but not enough to pull the shot away from Oni. "The university death was even more justified, because the guy was even worse than Walker. Might I remind you of what happened…"

_"No big deal? My reputation is destroyed, and you dare say no big deal? I'm facing a possible suspension, if not downright expulsion here, Sir!" Andy's rant at Professor Albane was loud enough to be heard over the equipment's sounds. Before long, the blond TA stormed out, his Loni-Kyle shirt fluttering in the air while Albane and his visitors looked on. Warner was at the next aisle, ready to hand over some other materials when he saw that scene. The presence of the Loni-Kyle only brought back more memories of the cadet tackling him. Based on what he just heard from Professor Albane, the wearer was, just like the cadet, a scum of the earth._

_ Warner handed over the materials before excusing himself from the team. He ended up following the TA to the department staff lounge. Pushing himself against the wall outside the door, Warner hid himself while still leaving enough room to stick an ear into the lounge. From inside, Andy whipped out a cellphone and angrily pecked his finger on the keys._

_ Warner stayed for a few minutes, hearing most of Andy's calls. Many were to professors from both this university and others that he worked with, requesting them to defend his academic misconduct charge. So far, none resulted in success, since the charge of plagiarism was pretty much a death sentence in academia. After a few more calls, Andy pretty much gave up. Getting up with a sigh, the TA trudged back to the lab, with Warner looking on from his hiding spot._

_By the time Warner went back to the Albane lab was located, the renovation team was already packing up, thanks to the end of the shift. Peeking into the Albane lab, he saw a couple more angry exchanges between Andy and Albane, before the professor slung his bag over his shoulder and headed home as well. "Now it's just you and me," Warner murmured._

_ Warner's observations into the Albane lab took him late into the night. Andy didn't budge an inch from his desk, still writing up that proposal for Professor Albane to use to defend him before his committee hearing. No one from the renovation team or campus security was nearby, giving Warner plenty of time to spy on the blond TA. His eyes soon landed on a fish tank near the inner office, the light in it flickering nonstop. If there was something wrong with the wiring, and Albane never got it fixed, could this be the source Warner wanted to take out Andy?_

_ Warner barely had time to react when Andy got up and left the room, heading into the staircase and away from the hall. He was in such a hurry that he didn't even bother closing the door to the lab. Sensing no one around, Warner stepped into the room and approached the fish tank. Opening the top, Warner took a quick glance at the wiring just above the water._

_ The red-haired renovation supplier pulled out a wire stripper from his pocket and aimed for the wires causing the lights to flicker. Cutting off the plastic covering from the top, Warner then grabbed the still-covered part of the wire and pulled it lower to the water. The intention was to have the light flicker so much that Andy simply could not concentrate. With him annoyed at the tank, he would stick his hand in there to fix it, and in the process electrocute himself._

_ Warner took one more check at the tank before leaving the lab, pocketing the cutter along the way. Andy was, just like the cadet, a leech on society who only cheated his way to the top. Just like how the cadet graduated by making an unjustified arrest on Warner, Andy would most likely get cleared by the committee and graduated from the university. If Warner could correct the injustice by ending Andy's life, then it at least got him closer to getting closure for that event._

"You're sick, you know that? Andy will get punished by the faculty anyway. He will be either suspended or expelled, so why did you even think about doing that?" Oni demanded angrily. Even though he was at Warner's mercy, Oni could not believe Warner would kill those wearing similar clothes as Oni. "Do you believe this is achieving justice?" Oni added.

A quick tap of the gun on Oni's forehead soon silenced the half-elf. Warner smirked and cocked an eyebrow at Oni. "And that's the issue with you police officers," he sneered, "You're trying to get justice, but always go after the wrong people. To you, justice is whatever you make of it, right? Well, your definition of justice just happens to contradict with mine."

* * *

><p>"Okay. According to Azul's checks on Warner's warehouse earlier, we have a total of three entrances. Two are on each side and the main one is from the garage," Noishe announced. After finding the abandoned motorcycle, Gil had dispatch call ground patrol to go to the site, hoping to confirm that Warner's van was present. Luckily, Cameryn got Warner's driver's licence from meeting him at the mall, allowing Robert to retrieve the licence plate of Warner's van. "Opening the main garage door will bring us unwanted attention, so I think it'll be best we split up the team and go in from the side doors. SWAT members, can you guys lead the attack?"<p>

The SWAT leader merely nodded, leading Noishe to turn to his team. All of them had tight cheeks, creased eyebrows, and locked jaws, wondering if their colleague and a young half-elf most of them called their friend were doing alright. Knowing that Warner was a psychopath intent on destroying anyone who even resembled Oni, they could only shudder in knowing what that madman would do now that the real deal was in his hands.

"Warner is very likely armed, given Oni may have brought his gun, only to have it taken by Warner," Gil pointed out, scanning over the warehouse blueprints, "Oni and Genis may be at the innermost parts of the building, but anything is possible. We have to be discreet and efficient, knowing how quickly Warner makes the kills. But knowing what I've seen so far, I doubt it."

"Why would you doubt that, Sarge?" Azul asked, brushing a strand of auburn hair away from his anxiety-filled eyes, "If Warner hates Oni that much, wouldn't he just shoot him dead and get it over with? And if he sees Genis as a nuisance, Warner won't hesitate to hurt him too."

Before Gil could even shake his head, Presea explained. "Oni is the one haunting Warner for the last two years, to the point where Warner snaps when he sees someone in a Loni-Kyle," she retorted, crossing her arms and staring holes into the map, "He'll want Oni to feel the pain he went through when his ship sank, just like how the killer in Gil's book kept the final target alive for a while. It bought the detective enough time then, so it might just do the same now."

Noishe pursed his lips. While the extra time was a blessing, it didn't make things any simpler. "As long as Oni and Genis are still in there, nobody is safe. That's why we can't take any risks on this operation," he stated. Turning to Gil, he asked the staff sergeant how Genis' family and Elyria were doing. "You did inform Oni's girlfriend and the Sages of this, correct?"

Gil nodded. "I told Elyria, Raine, and Lynn to stay at home for now. There's no telling what will happen until we fish them out," Gil replied, scratching the chin part of his goatee, "I told Lloyd and Colette to skip the dance and head over to the Sages, and just give them as much support as possible. I also had an officer go to Elyria's apartment to keep an eye on things there."

Just then, Noishe's cellphone rang, causing the captain to excuse himself. Flipping the phone open, Noishe mumbled some inaudible words into the mouthpiece, followed by a couple of nods and more orders. Except for the captain's words to the caller, not a single sound was heard in the room. The unit was already chilled, with only the lights at their half of the room on, yet the officers could feel goose bumps going up and down their limbs even more. Every second that sounded off from the clock at the far wall felt more like a countdown to the apocalypse.

The silence was stretched even when Noishe pocketed his phone and returned to them. Turning a grim face to the team, he made the announcement. "The dispatched cruiser arrived at the warehouse in question, and the officers saw a white van in the garage. The reported license plate matches the one we have for Warner's van. However, they saw no signs of Oni or Genis," he proclaimed, hovering over the warehouse blueprint once more, "I told them not to go in until we get there. Warner is a dangerous man, and he will hurt them if they aren't careful."

Turning to his team once more, he went through the infiltration plans again. "I'll have dispatch call in the motorcycle team. Any possible escape route for Warner must be cut off before he can get out. SWAT team, you guys go ahead to the warehouse. I'll have dispatch send at least three cruisers to clear the roads for you. We'll also get a chopper in the air if necessary. We have to hurry if we want to free the hostages. Let's take the map with us, and not make any mistakes!" With that, Noishe cleared everyone out, heading for the vehicles outside.

Presea and Azul hurried out first, followed by Cabalina, who checked her firearm once more. "Finally, I get to kick some butt," she sighed, thinking back to her trigger-happy days on the first case, "Warner better not let me get my hands on him, or he's toast," she threatened, albeit sarcastically, while shooting Gil a sly look.

Gil chuckled. He was about to slip the folded map into a manila envelope when his own cellphone rang. "Cabalina, can you hang on to the map for me?" Gil requested, giving the brunette the envelope while fishing out his phone. One look at the ID and Gil knew it could be grim. "Hi, Lloyd," he greeted his son, trying hard to stay calm, "Are you at the Sages now?"

"Yeah, Colette and I are still with Raine and Mrs. Sage. Mao and Chloe are also here, and we're just waiting on any updates," Lloyd replied tensely, the sounds of incoherent murmurs filling the background, "Actually, can Mrs. Sage talk to you for a second?"

Gil hustled out the unit, turning off the lights and closing the unit's door behind him as Lynn Sage's voice sounded off the earpiece. "Gil, do you know where Genis is?" the elderly woman fretted, sounding like she was close to breaking down. Lynn nearly fainted when Lloyd and Colette first informed her of the situation. "You have to bring Genis back home safely, Gil. Please, I beg of you, bring me back my grandson!" Lynn pleaded.

"I'll do all I can, Lynn," Gil assured her, trotting down the stairs and heading for the front door. Even with such a large operation, Gil was anything but certain of the outcome. With his heart nearly shattering his sternum, Gil slipped out the station and into his Audi V8, ready to drive off into the night, heading for the final showdown with this mad but cunning killer.

* * *

><p>"I get it, alright? You feel John Walker's attempt to seduce another's wife is akin to your crew being disloyal. You also feel Andy Linton's plagiarism incident is similar to your crew not following orders," Oni stuttered, his breathing now turning into nervous pants. There was still no sign of stopping from Warner, who towered over the blond half-elf seated on the ground with his back against a wall. So far, Oni found nothing that could cut the ropes on his hands, and he wasn't sure how to deal with Genis, who was still out cold. Was this truly the end for them both?<p>

Oni's attention went back to Warner once more, getting a glimpse of the former ship builder's smirk. "They're all scum, but none more than the drug addict at the police station," he growled, brandishing Oni's gun in front of the rookie officer's face, "I wasn't pleased with your friend Cabalina's rough interviewing method. But after seeing who was in the adjacent unit, I knew I had to act. I followed him all the way to the hospital, and then stayed outside his room until the perfect time came. I even wanted to do him in right there, just fiddle around with his IV and whatnot. But when Ruffin left the hospital by himself, I knew exactly where he would go…"

_Ruffin barely had time to breathe after that mad dash from the hospital. He knew the police was on his tail, and there would soon be a city-wide warrant issued for his arrest. But for now, he was content to hide in the alley behind his former martial arts dojo and get juiced up once more. Sliding his key into the dojo's back door, he quickly made his way into the building._

_ Yet Ruffin was far from alone, as another figure stood just outside the alleyway. Crossing his arms, Frank Warner watched intently from the safety of the darkness. He saw Ruffin first take out an old gas lamp before heading inside once. Seeing the gas lamp sitting on the ground gave Warner the perfect idea to take care of this former MMA champion, now turned drug addict. Grabbing his toolbox from the ground, Warner hurried into the alley and approached the lamp._

_ A quick inspection allowed Warner to decipher exactly which wrench to use, and the red-haired renovator immediately snatched the right one from his box. A few turns on the main knobs later, and the work was done. Warner packed his toolbox once more and hurried back to his hiding place. Along the way, he could see Ruffin step out from the martial arts dojo with a white package in his hands. Ruffin's back was towards Warner, trying to lock the dojo's back door. It gave Warner the perfect opportunity to slip out unnoticed._

_ But Ruffin's turn into the alley where he placed the gas lamp allowed Warner to spot an interesting detail. The Loni-Kyle shirt Ruffin wore was a club shirt, indicating his belonging to this martial arts dojo. Did that mean there were more blond people in crop tops to be found in this group? Shaking his head a few times, Warner made a mental note to go inside the dojo to check this detail later on. For now, Warner was intent to see the beauty of his work go down._

_ It took less than a minute before Ruffin was a big ball of orange, and less than five before the deceased was no longer alive. Smirking at the perfection of his plan, Warner trotted back to his van and placed the toolbox in the back. Heading to the front, he opened the passenger side door and reached into the glove compartment. Taking out his flashlight and a lock-picking kit, Warner took a glance at his watch once more, figuring it wouldn't be long before someone found the burning body. If he could accomplish what he wanted in the next ten to fifteen minutes, then maybe he could still get out before the fire trucks and police cruisers came. Stepping up to the back door, Warner did a quick inspection of the lock before pulling out a thin rod from his kit. Gently inserting the right rod, he slowly twisted the lock back and forth._

"But the lock did get compromised though, or else Sarge and Presea wouldn't go back to the dojo to investigate more," Oni pointed out, his tone somewhere between defiant and worried. He wanted so badly to find flaws in Warner's plans, as a way to show that the police did know about him. But right now, with Warner having the upper hand, there wasn't much he could do.

"But there was nothing in there that could help me, because there were no more blond fighters in the newest picture," Warner spat with disgust, his eyes shooting Oni a dark look, "But still, Ruffin deserved the die. Throwing away such potential for drugs is inexcusable. It's like my crew knowing they can do better, but choose not to. People like that have no place on my team."

"Then there's Death Angel," Oni whispered, sounding the name off like he was the devil, "You're a fan of the sergeant's book, and you go by Pirate King on Lloyd's website. You saw Death Angel commenting on all those deaths online, and you got involved by providing him with links of each death. It's like you're trying to get your message out through him, isn't it?"

Warner smirked once more. "Smart guess, rookie," he retorted backhandedly, "I admired that guy, given how brave he was in making these claims. Those people were scum of the earth, and did deserve to die. If there was a chance for me to remake my ship, the Van Eltia, that guy would make a good first mate. But I never knew Death Angel would turn on me, that traitor…"

_ An amazing stroke of luck occurred when Warner spotted Cook pulling his van into the alley behind this downtown hotel. It was a hotel that Warner did renovation work for last year, mainly in the basement. Given his familiarity with the building's interior, Warner's job just became a lot easier. Ever since the press conference by the police ethics commissioner, Warner was following the details on Cook, a deliveryman from a small logistics firm, who traveled all through the city like Warner did. To avoid suspicion, he parked his own van about a block away, and returned to the hotel on foot, slipping in through the back door, which was unlocked due to Cook making deliveries. Making sure no one was around, Warner took the stairs one floor down._

_ It was a narrow passageway straight to the power room, where Warner frequented a couple of times when the hotel asked him to upgrade some wiring during his renovation work. Warner already had an idea how to approach Cook for the kill, placing his hands around a package of powder in his pocket. Taking another glance around, he made note of how long it would take to get back to the exit before he was spotted. With everything in his mind settled, Warner took a deep breath and proceeded to picking the power room door._

_ Accessing the electric panels and grids was no problem for Warner, who knew exactly what buttons to press and levers to pull. Within seconds, the whole building was blacked out, with only the emergency lights making a dim line from the power room to the exits. The staff at the floors above was probably in disarray by now, giving Warner plenty of time to do the job outside. Taking long strides, Warner hurried back through the hallway, the darkness not affecting him one bit as he slipped back into the chilled night. Cook's van was just a few metres from the back door, and Warner knew exactly what he had to do here._

_ Warner soon made quick work of the van's door as well, taking a good look at the front of Cook's van. For a deliveryman that had so many places to go, Cook was surprisingly well-organized, with his laptop computer on the passenger seat and several notes ordered neatly on a clipboard on top of it. But right now, Warner's eyes were on one other object, a water bottle placed in the cup holder on the driver's side. Half of the liquid was still inside, and it was good enough for Warner to take action. Shooting out his hand like a viper, Warner snatched the bottle and opened the lid, holding it still while reaching into his pocket for the package._

_ "This is for my crew and their honour, after what this disgusting scumbag said on the chat room," Warner whispered venomously. Unzipping the bag, he proceeded to dumping the powder into the water, trying to leave as little of it outside the bottle as possible. The powder was potassium cyanide, which Warner used frequently for electroplating, both in the past when his ship was being built, and presently when he upgraded old pieces of metal in his renovation work. From his experience, Warner knew that anyone drinking a high enough concentration of this would die within seconds, which would suit his purposes just fine._

_ Making quick work of the water, Warner capped it once more and shook it violently, dissolving the powder completely into the water. He turned his head back to the hotel once more, and the building was still totally dark. The plan couldn't have worked out better for Warner, who was pretty much guaranteed an unimpeded journey back to his van. Placing the bottle back into the cup holder, Warner slowly closed and locked the van's door, making sure everything was in the same place before he came. Satisfied, Warner pocketed the empty bag and marched away._

"That was what it was? Cyanide?" Oni exclaimed, the colour draining from his face once more. He recalled from the forensics report that the water in Cook's bottle was contaminated, but didn't pay attention to the chemical or its concentration in the water. "That kill wasn't even in the sergeant's book, but you still came up with that? You're a sick man, you know that?"

"I thought he was on my side, since he told everyone he believes the other three deserved to die," Warner fumed, his eyes narrowing to darts, "Then he showed his true colours and turned on me, which is no different than a mutiny. You know what pirate captains do when there is a mutiny? They make the mutineers walk the plank, which is a much more painful exercise."

Oni's body shivered uncontrollably when Warner stalked up to him, pointing the gun at Oni's forehead. "Your staff sergeant is a good man, writing a book like this. It's a shame that we're on opposite sides, and I never got to know him better. But then again, after tonight, my mission will be done." Grabbing Oni by the arm, Warner proceeded to dragging Oni from the floor and onto his feet, jabbing the half-elf to move out with the gun. Upon that move, Oni's heart pounded nonstop, his stomach near his feet as he desperately searched for a way out.

Before the twosome could take another step, a soft groan was heard from the other side of the room. Both Oni and Warner turned to see a silver-haired figure slowly lift off the floor. The boy shook his head a few times before slowly facing them, his eyes going from squinting to wide within seconds. "Oni, what's going on here?" Genis demanded fearfully.

* * *

><p>Well, what do you think about that? Warner has Oni and Genis captive, and he's ready to shoot Oni dead! Can Gil's team make in on time, or will this be it for the two half-elves? Find out in the exciting conclusion of this story in the final chapter!<p> 


	12. One Chapter Closes, Another Will Begin

This is it, guys. The final chapter to this story. It's been a fun ride, but all good things must come to an end. I want to thank **Mandrakefunnyjuice**, **Fenrir of the Shadows**, and **AccessBlade** for their reviews. Now you get to see how it all plays out, with Genis and Oni being held by Warner (AKA Aifread), and Gil's team on their way to the rescue. Once more, let's get moving!

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. **AccessBlade** owns Cameryn Lachance. **Fenrir of the Shadows** owns Azul Kharlan. **No Pain No Gain** owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.

* * *

><p>"Oni, what's going on here? Who is that man?" Genis asked, still feeling woozy from that hit to his neck. He recalled seeing Oni unconscious on the ground with someone trying to grab the blond officer. In an attempt to save his friend, Genis cast Icicle to freeze the attacker's feet in place while calling the police on his cellphone. Before he could describe the scene, he was knocked out cold, only to wake up in this dark room with Oni being grabbed off his feet.<p>

"Genis, don't make any sudden moves," Oni warned the young half-elf, his eyes tilting back to the man holding him, "Warner, Genis has done nothing to offend you. The one you want is me, so before you do anything, take Genis outside where he can at least call his grandmother." Oni's face was taut and stoic like a statue, hoping to plead for Genis' release. With the boy out of the way, at least Oni could figure out how to fight Warner without worrying about Genis' safety.

"Oni, I'm not leaving without you!" Genis retorted, his body slightly shaking but defiant. Genis was sure that the police was on the way, given he called them before he got captured. And if Mao and Chloe knew he was missing, he was certain they would have taken action as well. "I will not leave you here alone with him!" Genis declared, pointing at Warner.

"Watch your mouth, brat!" Warner roared, glaring menacingly and pointing the gun at Genis, "I had a perfect plan going, and it would have worked had it not been for you interfering. You think you half-elves are so great with your spells? We'll see how many spells you can cast to prevent a bullet from going through your belly!"

"Warner, stop!" Oni shouted, trying to wrest himself free from Warner's grasp. Oni's hands were still tied behind his back, limiting his upper body's mobility. But as long as Genis was still here, the rookie officer would do anything it took to protect the boy. "Your plan was far from perfect. In fact, Sergeant Irving long suspected you, and had been keeping an eye on you. The only reason you're in protective custody is because of his plan."

Warner whipped his head back to Oni, who glared defiantly at the renovator. "It was the day when you went to the mall to meet up with Cameryn. Sarge had a plan to make you come into the station, and he had Bob and I put it into action…"

_"Bob, if the ethics commissioner finds out about our plan, he will eat our badges for lunch!" Oni exclaimed exasperatedly. Right now, Robert and Oni were standing at the second floor balcony at the downtown shopping mall where the police chase took place a few days ago. After Noishe's undressing by the ethics commissioner, tension was still high whenever a police mission took place. So for Robert to convince Oni to spy on Cameryn, this was very risky._

_ Robert, however, would not be denied. Waving at the Loni-Kyle shirt Oni wore, he pointed at the bare midriffs. "I heard from Sarge that your teacher Genis decided to get a bit fanatical about a certain body part," he taunted, gesturing at the navel, "You do realize this is perfect blackmail fodder, right? You want the entire station and your girlfriend to know that you just became the latest victim of Iselia's belly fanatic?" he sneered._

_ Robert shoved a small flower pot into the half-elf's hands, halting his protests. "I'll watch Warner, and when he comes near, I'll signal you to hurl this thing at him. Leave about six inches of space, as to not hit him. Fail and I'll get Genis to poke you again," Robert threatened, pointing to the floor below, "The Sages live within a five-minute walk from me. I'll distract Lynn and Raine while Genis has his way with you. We'll tape this and put it online too, got it?"_

_ Oni swallowed hard. While he was good friends with Robert and the Sages, the last thing he wanted was the event of Genis poking his belly being known. What would Elyria think if she ever saw that happening? Gently cradling the flower pot, he glanced over the edge, keeping a watchful eye over Cameryn and Warner who were having their conversation a distance away._

_ Just then, Warner got up and turned to leave. Both Robert and Oni could see Cameryn still sitting there, a stunned expression on her face. As Warner got closer, Robert timed his every step on his watch. "Wait for it, wait for it," he murmured, lifting his right hand to Oni while his eyes alternated between the watch on his left hand and the floor below. With every step Warner took, Oni's heart pounded at his sternum. Even though Gil told them he would check with mall security over safety issues, he was still nervous at any slip-ups. What if he really hit Warner?_

_ "Flower pot drop on three, Oni," Robert called, snapping Oni back to attention. The half-elf's hands were soaked with perspiration, so much so that he could barely grip the flower pot properly. From Robert's right, Oni peered over the edge apprehensively, not knowing what to expect. "One," Robert counted, much to Oni's displeasure, "Two," Robert's hawk-like eyes zoomed in on the redhead just below them. Oni could only whisper a prayer as Robert uttered the final word. "Three," he called, thrusting his arm forward to signal the drop. Squeezing his eyes shut, Oni hurled the pot down the balcony and ducked behind the railing._

_ Oni nearly curled into a ball when the explosion-like shatter echoed through the entire mall. "Direct hit, direct hit," Robert declared, pumping his fists in victory, "We hit the ground inches before Warner's next step. It was a total success!" Robert grabbed Oni's shoulder, almost hoisting the blond officer onto his feet. "We can't stay here and marvel at this for too long. We better get out of here before Warner realizes something is wrong. Come on!"_

_ Oni barely got a chance to peek over the railing once more, catching a glimpse of Warner staring up at the balcony. Even though Warner's look was one of concern, it still sent shivers up Oni's spine. In his mind, Oni didn't know who intimidated him more: the psychotic killer they suspected was Warner or the ethics commissioner if he found out about this stunt. "Sarge, we got him!" Oni could hear Robert report to Gil over his cellphone, "Whenever you want to make your entrance, I'm sure Cameryn will be ready for you."_

"Bob and Cameryn were both behind the act, and Sarge just showed up later on to get info from you. Bob was able to use all that info to find out about your past, and that's why the police will be all over you," Oni revealed, his tone stronger and more confident than before, "It's no use trying to hide here, because my team will be here any minute. Give it up, Warner!"

Warner responded to Oni's taunts with another pistol whip to the chops. "Who said you can bargain with me?" he roared, his hand shaking in anger, "After I kill you and that little brat, my mission is complete. You think a bunch of cops can stop me after I did in four people?"

Just then, the youngest person in the room spoke. "No, the cops won't be doing anything to you," Genis stated, getting into a fighter's stance, "But I will." Taking a deep breath, Genis put his hands at shoulder level before pushing them diagonally down, aiming right at Warner's feet. "Stone Blast!" he yelled, sending boulders up from the ground.

Warner was upended from the floor, landing hard on his back. The young mage did not stop there, marching right up to Warner and casting Icicle once more. This time, he made sure the ice surrounded Warner's limbs, completely disabling the renovator. "Come on, Oni," Genis called, rushing up to his policeman friend, "We have to get out of here."

"Thanks, Genis. But can you get rid of the ropes on my hands first?" Oni asked, turning his back to Genis, "Can you cast a spell that cuts these things up for me?"

"No problem. Aqua Edge!" Genis called, sending three spinning water disks at Oni's wrists. Before long, the ropes were cut, allowing Oni's hands to have mobility once more. As Oni ripped the door open, Genis turned to Warner and cast another Icicle, keeping his limbs even more in place. "That's for knocking me unconscious!" he snapped before hustling out with Oni.

Unfortunately for Genis, Warner was far from finished. While the redhead was on his back, his limbs encased in blocks of ice, he could feel a heat source coming from his left. It was the heater in his warehouse, and it was doing just enough to weaken the ice binds on his left arm and leg. With the ice turning into running water, Warner flexed his left arm and leg. Like a vampire rising from its coffin, Warner soon cracked the ice off his body.

With one side now free, Warner reached into his left pants pocket and took out a lighter. One detail missed by Oni and Genis was that Warner still had Oni's gun in his right hand, and once Warner got himself free, he would make sure those two half-elves pay. Turning the lighter on, he aimed the flame at his right side and started melting the ice of his limbs.

* * *

><p>Police cars lined the streets, alarms ringing through the night while a helicopter buzzed above the vehicles. In his own Audi V8, Gil was anything but relaxed, knowing full well that one of his team members and the grandson of one of his best friends were the captives. Moreover, the killer was a psychopath with unmatched intelligence, making this mission riskier than any he had ever taken before. If Warner followed Gil's novel that carefully, then it was possible that he knew exactly how Gil's train of thought went, and might even outsmart Gil himself.<p>

"The warehouse is in sight, so everybody get ready," Noishe's voice echoed off the police radio. Gil could see the lights from the motorcycle unit leading them into the compound, which resembled a coliseum more than a storage area. The open entrance left the police exposed and vulnerable, while the large, two-storey building tauntingly dared them to enter. As Gil shut off the engine and hopped out of his car, shivers went up and down his arms, legs, and spine.

"Does everyone remember the plan?" Noishe asked, gesturing both the SWAT team and the plainclothes unit together, "SWAT team will be split into two, each one taking one entrance and clearing the way for us. Search the whole warehouse from outside to in, first floor to second. The helicopter above us will keep an eye on things around, in case Warner makes an escape. As for the motorcycle unit, they will block off all ground routes within a kilometre of here. Don't forget to get the two captives out safely, even if it means attacking Warner."

The teams soon split in their opposite directions, with officers in an extra cruiser blocking the garage where Warner's van was parked. Gil hustled off with Cabalina to one entrance while Noishe left with Azul and Presea, just as the motorcycles buzzed out to their respective areas. Not counting Gil signing Warner's book at the mall, Cabalina was the first to have contact with Warner, and she left with a sour taste in her mouth. The same thing also happened when Cameryn met Warner at the mall. Who knew then that the least likely person was the culprit?

"We're ready to bust in," the SWAT team leader informed Gil. The goateed staff sergeant could see a battering ram held by two SWAT members while the rest of the SWAT team waited behind with Cabalina. "Your orders, Sergeant?" the team leader asked.

Gil checked his gun one more time. Assuming Warner could hear them barge in, they literally had minutes to scour the entire compound for where Oni and Genis would be. While Oni and Genis might put up some defences against Warner with possible mana spells, Gil had doubts that they could last against Warner for too long. Turning to the SWAT team leader, he gravely nodded. "Let's make quick use of the time, alright?" he reminded the team.

Gil got behind the SWAT team, which slammed the ram into the metal doors. Three loud bangs sounded off before it burst open, allowing the gun-toting officers to charge in and clear the way. Aisle after aisle contained items used for renovation or other upgrading purposes, but there was no sign of Oni and Genis. There was also no time to scour the shelves for things that Warner might have used to kill his other targets. Would Warner make his last kill a simple one, like a bullet to the head, or would he go for something sophisticated, similar to his previous kills?

Before anyone could mull on that, a loud gunshot snapped everyone to attention. Gil and Cabalina rushed out to the open foyer and frantically looked around, trying to find the source of the shot. "Captain Noishe, can you see anything from where you are?" Gil called into his radio.

"We can't see anything from our end, but I hear some footsteps above us," Noishe replied frantically, amidst the footsteps of officers rushing into the open, "I think there's a walkway that leads to a set of stairs coming down from the second floor. Maybe Oni and Genis are trying to escape and Warner spotted them. Can you access the stairs from where you are?"

Before Gil could respond, another shot rang out, followed by some inaudible shouting. "I can't see anything right now, but I think they're near us," Gil stated, craning his neck to look up. The whole area was blanketed by darkness, but Gil could make out metallic bars lining both horizontally and vertically across the structure, indicating there was a walkway. A series of clangs from above also made Gil realize that perhaps his two friends were closer than he thought.

"I didn't know the other way was blocked. I was unconscious when he dragged me in here!" the distinctive voice belonging to Genis Sage sounded off, followed but a quick change in direction in the footsteps. By the way things were going upstairs, Gil figured Oni and Genis were already out of Warner's grasp, and were probably trying desperately to find an escape route.

"How did he get us up here anyway? He couldn't have dragged two unconscious bodies all by himself," Oni could be heard replying, "Maybe he has an elevator or lift?" Sensing Warner was closing in on them, there was little time to waste. Looking around for his team, Gil spotted Cabalina and gestured to her, asking her to be his spotter while he contacted the SWAT team.

Lifting the radio to his mouth, Gil relayed his latest orders. "All team members look for a staircase leading down from the top. Our hostages have escaped, and Warner is chasing after them. Suspect is most likely armed and dangerous, so do not take any chances. Whoever gets to Oni and Genis first, make sure you take them to safety before we go after Warner!"

Gil's message was followed by another gunshot, followed by a loud metallic clang from the scaffolding above. "This is getting way too close for comfort," Genis was heard grumbling, "I'm going to see if I can distract him just to buy us some time." Then, to all officers' surprise, three fireballs zipped across the dark ceiling and towards where the gunshots came from. While Gil only saw shadows and silhouettes, he now had an idea where Oni and Genis were, and how close Warner was to them. If he could only locate the staircase, they would be home free.

But the supposed plan Genis came up with backfired, as a series of hurried footsteps echoed through the warehouse, followed by two more shots. Panicked screams were heard from the scaffolding, leading to mass chaos for the officers below. Gil quickly relayed more orders, his finger jabbing in various directions. "Oni, Genis, stay alive for another few minutes," he murmured. Despite help was on the way, Gil was now doubting if it could arrive in time.

* * *

><p>"There's the stairs!" Oni exclaimed, shoving Genis in the direction of the exit. Even after they escaped from Warner, the two half-elves had no idea how to get out, taking too much time bumbling along the scaffolding. Now Warner broke free from the ice binds, had Oni's gun in his hand, and was chasing after them. Could they even get out in time to get help?<p>

Before they could take another step down the stairs, a gunshot zipped towards them, causing both to duck. They could feel the bullet whiz above their heads, this shot the closest to hitting them yet. Warner was on their tails, and the only thing they could do was either outrun him, or turn back to fight him. "Let me hold him back first," Genis suggested, whipping his body around. Taking another deep breath, he thrust out his arm and called, "Wind Blade!"

A series of rotating air sliced at the renovator, giving Oni and Genis just enough time to navigate down the steep and narrow stairway. At the floor below them, Oni could see it was an open area, meaning Warner could still snipe them from above. With the way things were right now, they were clearly not safe. "We have to get to the exit," Oni announced.

Another shot rained down from the stairs just when both half-elves hopped off the last step. Genis turned back to see Warner at the top of the stairs, seething with anger and stalking down like a bear. His sleeves and pant legs were wet, courtesy of the ice spells from when Genis tried to bind him. His shirt was also torn in the front, thanks to the Wind Blade from earlier. It was evident that despite the damage done to him with two spells, Warner was not slowing down one bit. "I'll kill you both if it's the last thing I do!" he roared, charging down the stairs.

"Geez, Oni! How many bullets are there in that gun?" Genis questioned, his voice a mix of fear and franticness. He immediately rifled through his pockets, hoping to find his cellphone. Much to his dismay, it was no longer with him. "I must have dropped it when he knocked me out at the community centre," Genis muttered as they hustled off, "Now how can we call for help?"

"You're not the only person with something missing, Genis," Oni retorted, pulling Genis into the aisles of shelves, where they at least had a place to hide from Warner, "He's got my gun too, although I don't recall having that many shots. Before I left my apartment, I checked the gun cartridge, and it wasn't full. It won't surprise me if he only has a shot or two left. Did we manage to count how many shots he got off, starting from when we escaped?" Oni asked.

Genis had no response for that question, opting to holler out instead. Oni turned just in time to see Frank Warner charging into their aisle with the gun aimed at them. "Take cover!" Oni shouted, tackling Genis just as Warner fired another shot. Genis could only throw his hands over his head, his entire body solid as stone. Genis wasn't sure how many times he cheated death this night. Right now, his only wish for his thirteenth birthday was to get out of here unscathed.

Just then, a weak groan caught Genis' attention. "Oni, are you hurt?" he murmured, trying to lift his head. From beside him, Oni tried to get to his feet, only to show a grimace on his face. Genis craned his neck and all the blood suddenly rushed out of his head. Oni's left hand was around his right side, at around the height of his ribs. The hand was soaked in red, and Oni's shallow breathing only confirmed the bad news. "You've been shot!" Genis exclaimed.

Before Oni could even respond, Genis was tossed a side like a ragdoll in a hurricane. The younger half-elf hit his head against the vertical metal bar of the shelf, and while it didn't knock him unconscious, it made Genis see enough stars to render him ineffective. Flipping Oni onto his back, Warner pointed the gun menacingly at Oni's forehead. "Now that the brat is out of the way, I can truly finish you off. Prepare to go apologize to my crew for their deaths!"

Oni hissed in pain as Warner constricted his left hand against Oni's throat. With his body too weak to physically fight back, and Genis out of commission for the moment, there was only one thing Oni could do. Sneaking his left hand under his shirt, he thrust a finger into his belly button and rubbed it in and out. "Any last words, scumbag?" Warner growled.

Oni tried to block out the pain on his ribs, the pressure on his neck, and the unusual sensation from his navel. He did not have a cellphone charger or electrical wire, but static electricity was probably his only friend right now. Struggling to stay focused, Oni defiantly stared back at the gunman. "Yeah, Lightning," he uttered, much to Warner's surprise.

The split second was all it took for Oni to pull up his shirt with his left hand. With his navel now showing, a small spark of electrical mana shot out the deep depression and right into Warner's abdomen. It was enough to shock Warner off of Oni, lifting the gun away from the blond half-elf's forehead and letting a wayward shot into the air. With Warner hit by electricity, Oni gave the renovator a good kick, pushing him away while hobbling off the ground. "Genis, are you okay?" Oni asked, approaching the pre-teen sitting on the ground holding his head.

Genis shook his head a few times, trying to get the stars out of his eyes. He tried to stand up, but to no avail. Whatever hit Genis took to the head, it was enough to knock his balance off. "If it weren't for how serious this is, I would have shown you how I managed to improvise a belly shot," Oni murmured, grabbing a hold of Genis' hand. Realizing that his progress wouldn't be that fast either, Oni could only hope the exit was close, before Warner could strike again.

But Oni and Genis barely got past two aisles before Warner got back up. From the open area ahead of them, Oni could hear sounds of footsteps and orders being yelled out. Figuring it was the police, Oni tried to cry out for help. "Hey, we're over here!" he shouted.

"You're not going anywhere!" Warner yelled from behind. Both Oni and Genis turned to see Warner within a foot of them, the gun pointing at their faces once more. Realizing they were inches from the police, Oni shoved Genis into the open area, ordering him to get reinforcements. "You're like the cockroach that just won't die, aren't you, rookie?" Warner snarled.

Oni's heart pounding on his sternum did little to ease the pain throbbing from his right side, making his every breath painful to take. Tilting his eyes to spot Genis stumbling to get help, Oni did the only thing he could do. "I tackled you and held you long enough to let the police arrest you when I was a cadet, and I can do it again now!" Oni launched himself at Warner, placing both hands on the barrel of the gun, pulling it skyward and away from himself.

Unlike two years ago, the injured Oni was no match for the much stronger Warner, who soon flipped the rookie officer against the wall. The collision did the right ribs no favour, and the arm twisting action made Oni feel like his shoulder had been dislocated. He did everything to hold on, even when the footsteps were getting closer. "This is the police," he could hear someone call, "Release your hostage, drop your weapon, and put your hands in the air!"

Warner didn't even pay attention to the warning, his mind too blinded by hate for Oni. This was the man who haunted him for the last two years, the man who made him lose his crew all because of a traffic check gone wrong, and the man who had the one thing Warner didn't have right now: support and encouragement from his colleagues and friends. Oni was the one who ruined his life, so even if the police was surrounding him, Warner was adamant to kill Oni on the spot. "If the police take me down, then you're going down with me!" Warner yelled.

But just as Warner brought the gun close to Oni's head, a strange click was heard from the trigger. Oni barely lifted his eyes and realized the dilemma: Warner was out of bullets. Oni wasn't sure if Warner or the police knew the gun was empty, but it gave Oni a huge advantage. Taking a deep breath, he pressed the pain to the deepest part of his mind and shoved Warner to the direction of the police. "The only one going down today is you, Warner," Oni retorted.

The two men tumbled into the open, where Oni could see the SWAT team assembling. He couldn't make out where Genis was, but given officers from his unit were around, Genis was most likely safe. "Release the hostage or we'll shoot," the SWAT leader warned, all firearms drawn and pointing at the wrestling duo. Warner gained the upper hand once more, pushing Oni to the ground chest-first. Pointing the gun against Oni's temple, he prepared to pull the trigger.

But Warner could not even finish that before several bullets hit him. The SWAT team saw Warner try to blow Oni's brains out, and opened fire on the red-haired renovator to save one of their own. Oni couldn't even holler out to the SWAT team, trying to tell them there were no bullets left in Warner's gun. Before long, the weight off Oni's back was no more. Warner slumped backwards onto the stone-cold concrete, stone-cold dead.

Oni panted in fear, the pain from his ribs returning once more. His heart threatened to pound a hole through his sternum and into the ground below. Before long, the SWAT team members gathered around Warner's corpse, making sure he was no longer a threat. Gil's team soon followed, with the relieved face of the goateed staff sergeant coming into Oni's vision. "Are you alright?" Gil asked, extending his hand to Oni, "We got Genis already, and we'll get an ambulance for him. Why don't you come to the hospital as well, just to get checked up?"

* * *

><p>"Dad, there you are!" Lloyd exclaimed, hustling into the waiting area outside the operation room, "We came here as soon as we could, after you called me earlier. Is everything alright?" Lloyd asked. He approached the row of seats lined outside the operation room, sliding into a seat directly to the right of his father, who sat stoic in a middle chair at the front row.<p>

Gil rubbed his face with both hands, the fatigue and stress making him look at least ten years older. "Oni has been in the operation room for an hour now, and I've already called Elyria to come," Gil explained monotonously, "How did Genis fare? Did he make it out unscathed?"

Lloyd rubbed his fingerless-gloved hands together, anxiety taking a toll on the brunette as well. "Genis is diagnosed with a concussion, and the doctors want to keep him hospitalized for at least the weekend," Lloyd described, his arms and legs still shaking, "Raine and Mrs. Sage are staying with Genis, but Colette said she'll come over here a bit later on. Mao and Chloe are still there, but Mrs. Sage will call their families to pick them up after she makes sure Genis is okay."

Gil nodded. He kept an eye on the main doors, wondering when his team would arrive with Elyria. Lloyd tried peering into Gil's eyes, realizing Gil was troubled by the last battle. "It's almost ironic that a police sergeant wrote a book that inspired a serial killer," Gil commented, giving off a hoarse chuckle, "Warner used my book to justify his actions after feeling society wronged him. Normally, I would say Warner made the wrong choice to begin with, but somehow I have some responsibility to take as well. Do you think I should have done more to convince my fans to truly think about the story, rather than just let them interpret it however they like?"

Lloyd took a deep breath, thinking over his words carefully. Being the site administrator, he also witnessed extreme fans like Warner and Cook, meaning he could have stopped them as well. But now, he was thinking about this from a different angle. "I think as the writer, your job is to guide your readers, but not dictate to them how they should think," Lloyd replied, steady eyes focused on his slouched father, "Like you said, Warner had psychological problems for years, and held a grudge against Oni and the police for something preventable. Given his mind is set on breaking the law to get his way, I think him using your book is just a side event."

Gil turned his head around, his eyes neither surprised nor disappointed. Part of him was proud of his son for that very detailed and logical answer, but another part of him was intrigued at how Lloyd arrived at this conclusion. "What's your reasoning behind that thought?" he asked.

Lloyd licked his lips, his chocolate eyes reflecting steel-like resolve in his answer. "Before Ratatosk split in half to seal the Ginnungagap, he and Emil took on some members of the Vanguard on the way to there," Lloyd explained, trying hard to recall each detail, "Two people named Alice and Decus fought Emil and Marta before they reached the Ginnungagap, and Marta wanted to save them by convincing them to leave the Vanguard instead of killing them. But in the end, both Emil and Marta realized Alice and Decus joined the Vanguard on their own volition, and no amount of help offered would make them change their minds."

Gil straightened up his body, staring silently at his son. "Even though Warner's supposed to be mentally unstable, I think he was aware of his actions," Lloyd continued, "He wanted to kill anyone that resembled Oni, and used the pettiest reasons to justify his actions. There wasn't anything we could have done to convince him to stop, and like how Emil himself pointed out back then, trying to convince ourselves that Warner could be saved is ego on our part. I don't see anything more that I could have done, other than to help you track down the suspect. I don't hold it against myself for my actions, and I don't think you should hold it against yourself either."

Gil smiled weakly. Usually, Lloyd was the one at the receiving end of one of Gil's life lessons, but the tables were turned completely today. Maybe this was a sign that Lloyd had fully matured as a person. "Thanks, Lloyd," Gil replied with a small nod, "If I do continue with my mystery novels, I will be diligent and interact with the fans, just to ensure nothing tragic like this happens ever again." With that, father and son held each other in a warm embrace.

Just then, a young woman with dark brown hair and tan skin charged into the waiting room. She was followed by members of Gil's unit, including Cameryn, who wasn't part of their operation. Even Robert showed up, taking a seat to Gil's other side and glancing nervously at the operation room. "Captain Noishe is still outside with the SWAT Team, trying to deal with the press. Is the rookie okay in there, Sarge?" he asked anxiously.

Before Gil could answer, the operation room doors popped open. A doctor in a full-body green operation gown stepped forward. Upon seeing him, Elyria instantly jumped forward. "I'm the girlfriend of the patient. Is he alright in there? Will he survive?" she demanded frantically.

The doctor waved his hands in assurance. "Officer Sheikah has suffered a bullet wound to the right side, and it did fracture a rib. We did manage to take out the bullet and patch up the wound, but the rib will take about six weeks to heal," the doctor explained the situation calmly to Elyria and the team, "I think it'll be in his best interests to stay in the hospital for a few days, just to observe the progress and giving him the right support for his ribs. But the surgery is a success, and he is in no life-threatening danger right now, so we will transfer him to a room soon."

"Alright, he'll make it!" Elyria exclaimed. She happily bounded over to Cabalina and Azul, giving them both a huge hug. The pony-tailed brunette and the elf were both caught off guard, but gladly welcomed the gesture, knowing that their friend would make it through.

As Elyria hopped over to give Cameryn a hug, Presea approached Gil. Taking a seat at the second row, on the chair directly behind Gil's, she asked, "So now that Warner is shot dead, and we have evidence pointing to his involvement in those deaths, do you think that pretty much closes the case? I don't think we have anything else left to do, right?"

Gil gave off a wide grin. "Other than making sure Oni and Genis get out of the hospital completely healthy, I doubt it," Gil responded, turning around and leaning his side against the back of the chair, "But I have to say we made quite a few friends on this adventure, and I think some of those relationships may last a bit longer than the case being closed."

* * *

><p>"Looks like we can finally close this case, Robert," Noishe stated to his former team member sitting across from him at the captain's office. Even though it was Sunday, with virtually no one in the office, Noishe wanted to finish the file before taking off. Robert was asked to come along, having taken custody of the file for Archives, now that it was finished.<p>

Even though he was asked to come in for the weekend, Robert was in an upbeat mood. "I don't mind coming in this weekend, just to finish clearing this up," he replied, taking another set of files from the former Protozoan, "After such a crazy case, with so many deaths happening, I'm just glad we've finally cracked it. By the way, how's Sarge taking it so far?"

Noishe shrugged. Gil seemed uncertain after the case was over, almost feeling like he partially caused it by his book. While Lloyd told him not to worry about it, both Noishe and Robert felt that Gil had some baggage to drop off before he could be at peace. "Gil went through a lot, but I'm sure he can handle it," Noishe explained, handing off the last set of documents for Robert, "Lloyd really put things into perspective for him, and that's always a good thing."

Robert chuckled. The taxing experience showed him that even though Gil seemed almost invincible, he was still a human inside. "With his son going to college in a few months, he'll have a whole new set of challenges to deal with. I wonder what will stress him out more: dealing with the ethics commissioner at the station or dealing with Lloyd's tuition fees."

Noishe laughed along as well. "On the topic of the ethics commissioner, here's a bit of news that I think you may be interested in. Due to the death of Peter Cook so soon after his release, the police chief will investigate if the ethics commissioner did the right thing in letting him out with the real killer still at large," Noishe described, clasping his hands and looking at Robert eagerly, "I'm sure the ethics commissioner will justify his actions with policies, but I find it ironic that he's now on the receiving end of an investigation into his potential wrongdoing."

Robert snickered. This was one moment he had been waiting for even before this case. "Well, I'm taking all these to the Archives Department then," Robert announced, tucking all the files under his arm, "Keep me posted on the unit's events, okay?"

Noishe waved goodbye to Robert, leaving the captain all alone in his office. Taking a glance around, he picked up his phone and called up his staff sergeant. The very least he could do right now was to make sure Gil was fine with everything that happened. "Hi Gil, it's me," Noishe greeted just as Gil picked up on the other end, "Just wanted to see how you're doing?"

"Captain Noishe, thanks for calling, but you really don't have to worry about me," Gil responded amidst some static in the back, "I'm doing fine right now. In fact, I'm just at a coffee shop with my son and his girlfriend, and they're having a discussion with Cameryn on saving up for college tuition. I'm also fielding a Skype call right now, so I can't talk for too long."

"Well, glad to know things are going okay," Noishe replied. It was so out of character for Gil to have this event affect him the way it did, but just like he had predicted, the unflappable Gil Irving would pull through once more. "I'll see you on Monday at work then, alright?"

"Make sure to thank Jade Curtiss for me, for all his hard work on the case," Gil added before ending the call. Turning back to his laptop, he continued the three-way conversation with Regal and Zelos. "The captain just called to make sure everything is going fine," Gil assured his two friends, "You both did lots to help me crack the case. Zelos, your testimony pretty much put this thing over the top. And Regal, you did a great job on the history of the Loni-Kyle."

"I'm glad I was able to help you, Gil. Anything to help a friend in need," Regal pointed out, "I told you earlier that I found it improbable to have such remote things be connected to your case, but here I stand greatly corrected. Looks like I have a lot to learn if I ever want to be a detective. Maybe I should take up your offer and buy a copy of your book!"

Zelos chortled on the other line. "Well, glad we're all mystery hunters now, but I'm more concerned with letting my hunnies hear about my exploits," Zelos declared, grinning maniacally and flexing an arm, "Tell the hunnies that I have the looks, the muscles, and the brains to attract them. I bet even those in your unit, like Presea or Cameryn, are bound to be impressed!"

Gil could only chuckle and shake his head. Either way, with friends like these, there was no way anything could get him down. He was more determined than ever to keep solving cases and writing novels in the future, and would bask in the support and encouragement of his family and friends. As Gil continued his chat with Regal and Zelos, a couple tables over in the coffee shop were Cameryn, Lloyd, and Colette, talking about something related to their future too. "And that's the most effective way to save up for your college years," Cameryn concluded.

Both Lloyd and Colette nodded. It was the first time either one of them thought about their future in college, but neither seemed ready to digest all this new information. Part of this was due to having to face being independent, but also because of the unusual and taxing case they both just solved. "Are you guys still thinking about the case?" Cameryn asked.

Again, another set of weak nods from the teenage couple. "I guess this case changed me a lot, because now I see there's so much more out there that I haven't known yet," Lloyd reflected to Cameryn, "Maybe, just maybe, this will prepare me for college and beyond."

Colette placed her hand on top of Lloyd's, their eyes meeting right in the middle. "At least we can get through it together," she stated before turning her eyes to Cameryn, "Cameryn told me about how she kept her faith in supporting others even when her first attempt failed, and now she's more determined than ever to keep inspiring others. If she can do it, then so can we."

Cameryn beamed warmly at the twosome. "Lloyd, Colette, this is the very thing I tried to help Kate with, but failed," she recalled, thinking back to the plainclothes unit's first case, "Kate wanted to be independent, but didn't know how to put things into perspective. Unlike you two, who have an eye on the goal and have a way of getting there, Kate lost her way by not realizing her best options. Right now, the only thing I can hope for is that when she does make it through her trial, she can find the right path again. And when she does, I'll be there to help her again."

Lloyd and Colette both nodded once more, realizing Frank Warner lacked that very thing as well. He pushed his hatred for the fault done to him in the foreground, rather than accepted what he couldn't change and tried to get help and support for moving on from the event. For Lloyd and Colette, they would always cherish their relationship, and support from their friends and families. There would be nothing stronger than the bonds they had right then and there.

* * *

><p>Gil and Presea guessed correctly when they claimed the bonds created in this experience would last a lot longer than expected. For Cabalina, her bond took her back to the ranch near the scouts' camp, where she was now meeting with Jack Azmenak. "My brother Fil is finishing his first undergrad year as a veterinary science major," Cabalina described to the young rancher, "Will you or anyone you know want some help over the summer?" she asked, tugging on her jacket on this cool but sunny morning. She leaned against the wooden rails that lined the perimeter of Jack's field, watching the young man busily ship equipment out from the barn.<p>

Jack nodded thoughtfully. "I can definitely ask my parents for you, and if they say yes, then Fil can send his resume over. We'll work out his duties and pay later on," he responded, shoving his working gloves into the back pocket of his pants, "I'm just glad I can help you guys with that death at the scouts' camp. Hopefully everything will be alright now."

Cabalina shrugged. "It's like what Sergeant Irving said, right?" she replied, recalling Gil's words on how Warner ruined it for himself during the Luin traffic check, "If all citizens took the time to just calm down and acted carefully, rather than running around like a chicken without its head, there would be a lot fewer tragedies. I'm just glad you were able to show that calmness when we interviewed you, but I guess that's natural, given you deal with animals."

Jack nodded. "Dealing with animals means you have to be analytical, diagnose what's wrong with the animal, and how to fix the situation," he explained, "If your brother will work for my family over the summer, maybe we can go over some of these skills. Anyway, would you like to look around the farm, just so you can tell Fil what it's like if he does want to work here?"

While Cabalina was at the farm, a different group of people were also commenting on the serial deaths at the University of Iselia. Raine Sage was on the phone, taking a long distance call from her friend and colleague Sheena Fujibyashi. "According to Gil, the killer made all these kills because of his vast knowledge in a variety of subjects," she stated, leaning her back against the rolling chair at her desk, "It's truly a shame that he chose this route, because it pretty much wasted all that potential to do so many great things."

"Yeah, I guess," Sheena trailed off, her tone still somewhat hesitant, "Even though I feel a lot better knowing this killer won't hurt anyone again, the scene of Andy being electrocuted by that fish tank pretty much reminded me why I fear electricity in the past. I'm just thankful you and Gil supported me through it. By the way, will Professor Albane ever get a new fish tank?"

"The replacement tank arrived earlier today," Raine answered, tilting her watch to note the time, "I have to go soon. I have tutorials to teach later in the afternoon, and I may even have to miss out on taking my brother out of the hospital. Grandma will pick him up when he gets released, but I'm just glad he'll be okay. Maybe it'll teach Genis that even though mana spells are powerful, he still can't be reckless about it, or he'll just end up in the hospital again."

After a quick goodbye, Raine ended the call with Sheena and trotted out of her lab. She hustled over to the Albane lab, where Miguel Albane had many parts laid out on the ground for assembling the fish tank. While the older man was on the ground identifying the pieces, a young man with sandy brown hair and a red bandana tied around his head looked on anxiously. "Dad, you can't be serious, right? Why are you asking me to help you assemble this fish tank?"

The professor glanced up in annoyance. "Sergeant Irving told me you can't even tell two light bulbs apart, which indicates your cluelessness around the home. What if there's a bulb that burned out after you move out, and you have to fix it?" he retorted, "Don't tell me you're calling your mother or me to come fix it, Cress. From now on, I'll teach you how to fix common home appliances, starting with light bulbs. So come here and help me assemble the fish tank, starting with the wiring to the lighting!" Albane ordered, jabbing a finger at the part.

Raine could barely hold back her chortles when Cress tried every excuse in the book to refuse his father, only to get all of them shot down. In pure frustration, Cress let out a loud scream, shaking the entire lab in the process. Sensing her cue to leave, Raine slipped out from the Albane lab and back into her own, noting another fun story she could tell to Gil and her other friends next time they met. The score as of now: light bulbs two, Cress Albane zero.

Gil and Presea, on the other hand, had some other issues to deal with. Even though Gil's wallet dodged a bullet after not having to treat Reid Hershel to a buffet lunch, both of them still felt they owed it to the MMA fighter for his actions. Moreover, after a quick talk with Regal, who happened to be a mixed martial arts fan, Presea decided to look into the subject as well. "It's just one more new thing I get to try out in my life after the Exsphere," she informed Aylmer, the dojo owner, "So if Reid is available for lunch, maybe he can join Gil and me."

"He finished his training today and just hopped into the showers," the dojo owner pointed out, gesturing to the back, "Although if you want, I can give you some information on our club right now, and show you a schedule of when our fighters may compete…"

While Presea was occupied with Aylmer, Gil sneaked into the male locker room to surprise Reid. He stepped in just in time to hear the water stop flowing, followed by a silhouette figure moving out from the back. Before long, Reid appeared into view, tossing the towel over one shoulder while adjusting the waistband of his white boxers. Reid looked up before Gil could even greet him, and immediately an exasperated expression appeared on his face. "Please don't tell me you want me to pick another lock," he groaned, throwing his hands up in frustration.

Gil lifted his hands and waved them in assurance. "No locks to pick this time, Reid," he informed the MMA fighter, "I want to personally take you out to lunch. Even though you failed to pick that lock, I still feel I owe it to you. Besides, Presea, the officer I came with last time, is gaining an interest in mixed martial arts. If you can enlighten her over lunch…"

"You'll really take me to that buffet? No tricks involved or strings attached," Reid demanded, his eyes lighting up in excitement, "Then just let me get dressed first…" he trailed off, bounding happily to his locker. He pulled out his pants, his sneakers, and the membership Loni-Kyle shirt. After that frustrating exercise with the lock last time, Reid was finally being rewarded. "You guys have something to celebrate too, since you caught Kent's killer, right?"

Gil smiled and nodded. With the support he got from his son, his unit, and all his friends, knowing they would always be there to ensure extremism didn't rule the day, he didn't have a worry in the world. For now, the only thing he had to be concerned with was how many plates Reid would go through at the buffet table before the manager threw him out. "From now on, if I ever want someone to pick a lock, I'll turn to the guy in my unit," he told Reid, "His name is…"

"…Azul Kharlan," Oni greeted the elf standing before his hospital bed, "I'm glad you can see me get discharged. You don't want your trainee to get hurt, right?" he joked. A weekend of observation led the medical staff to conclude that Oni's ribs would heal well. With nothing else hindering the half-elf from a full recovery, Oni was about to be sent home. He sat upright on the hospital bed, trying now to move too much while his girlfriend helped collect his belongings.

"Well, I care about my teammates, and I want to make sure they're okay," Azul replied, shoving his hands in his pants pockets, "I do know for a fact that you won't be doing any active police work for four to six weeks, if my research into the healing process of broken ribs is correct. In that case, just stay at home and don't do anything crazy."

The lone female in the room giggled. "I'll take care of you real good, Oni," Elyria suggested, helping Oni put on his brown jacket, "For starters, I'll take away the keys to your motorcycle," she stated, twirling a set of keys around. Luckily, Oni's motorcycle was returned to him in relatively good condition, even after the crash after Warner swerved into him. But with his health, Oni was in no position to drive it for a while. "Now all I have to do is call a cab."

Azul chuckled and shook his head at his half-elf trainee. "Speaking of not doing anything drastic, I'm guessing that also means no spell casting for a while?" he pointed out, "It's a shame too, since I wondered how Genis will react when you show him how you improvised the belly shot. Guess that will have to wait too, huh?" Azul ended sarcastically.

Oni shrugged. "I still have a lot to learn from Genis, that's for sure. If we're both healthy enough, maybe we should start again," he responded, "By the way, don't you have something to give back to Genis? I heard the police have his cellphone, so how do we give it back to him?"

In a room located in another wing of the hospital, Genis' cellphone was in the hands of one Mao Orselg, who ran into Azul when he and Chloe Device arrived at the hospital earlier. It was the beginning of spring break, and the two caught a bus to the hospital before meeting up with Lynn and Azul. "Sergeant Irving and Officer Kharlan want us to get this back to you," the red-haired boy informed his half-elf friend, handing over the cellphone.

Genis cocked an eyebrow. Like Oni, he was sitting upright on the hospital bed, changed back into his street clothes, while his grandmother was outside signing the discharge forms. Tugging on his open-fingered gloves, he gently took the phone and held it like a baby. "So I heard most of you didn't recognize that this belongs to me? Didn't any of you just look at the number and find it matching to ones you have in the phone directories in your own phones?" he asked, flipping his phone open and recalling the events that occurred on that chaotic night.

Chloe sighed. "Genis, it was Sergeant Irving who had the phone, so we couldn't check anyway," she pointed out, "Besides, most phones are usually pretty generic. Unless you put in something special to make it stand out, I don't think too many people will notice that it's yours."

"Oh, in that case," Genis stuttered, getting off the hospital bed. He was already back in his usual attire of blue shirt and vest, and that meant it was easier for him execute his ingenious plan. Mao and Chloe watched Genis lift his shirt and, using the camera application in his cellphone, snapped a photo of his navel. A couple of clicks later, and it was done. "Now, no one can claim it's not recognizable," Genis exclaimed, a huge smile on his face.

"Genis, what are you doing?" Lynn asked in shock, tilting her eyebrows at her grandson. Mao and Chloe both turned their heads back and forth between the elderly woman and the cellphone, which now had brand new wallpaper. "Did you just do what I thought you did?"

Genis grinned from ear to ear. "That's right, it's the belly button cellphone wallpaper," he declared, lifting his phone triumphantly while prodding his own navel. With the youngster posing dramatically and his grandmother shaking her head, Mao and Chloe couldn't help but burst into laughter. This was one friendship that they were sure to never forget.

But for the issue of never forgetting, it was in Luin where someone had the most to remember. It was early evening in that city, and a silver-haired young man wearing a white leather jacket and dark motorcycle gloves approached a headstone in a graveyard. The setting sun cast long shadows over the hills, and a light breeze gently pushed the young man to his destination. Standing before the headstone, he paused for a moment in silence before kneeling down, brushing the top of the stone. "I miss you, Stella. It's been a while since I last came," Senel Coolidge whispered, placing down some flowers on the grave.

Senel paused for a moment before continuing his speech to Stella. "Every day I think of you, but after an investigation related to the sinking, where my testimony aided the police in catching the culprit, I realize maybe it's time to move on," he stated, gently brushing the smooth stone face like he was brushing Stella's cheeks, "Wallowing in the past turned someone into a ruthless killer, and I'm determined not to repeat that. I'll continue to take care of Shirley, but hopefully something new can grow from the special bond between Shirley and me."

Senel stayed for a few more minutes before stepping away, knowing Stella would want both he and Shirley to live happy. Even though it meant a new direction for their relationship, Senel knew he made the right choice, and that Stella would not be against this either. "Maybe I can ask Bob about this, just to see what he thinks," Senel muttered, trotting out of the graveyard. The wind around him died down as Senel stepped onto the main path, leading him to the exit. There was nothing but a scene of serenity for Senel, who just found a new path in his life.

As the sun slowly dipped into the horizon over the oceans near Luin, it was like everyone, not just Senel, had closed this chapter of their lives. For everyone involved in this adventure, a new chapter of their life stories had just begun. Gone were the past and all the sad events that led from it. With lessons learned from the experiences deep in their hearts, every participant in this case now had a new goal to head towards in this next step of their journeys.

* * *

><p>I tried to give every cameo character a mention or an extra scene before ending it, and I'm grateful for all the great and helpful reviews from my fans. Unless things change, I will keep all OC's, the usual suspects as well as the cameos, in this franchise in the near future. Unless OC owners tell me they don't want their OC's involved anymore, I will assume they will show up again in my next installment. They have truly become part of the "Gil Irving Files" series now, and I can't imagine moving forward with the series without them.<p>

I will move back to the Avatar fandom for the next year or so, doing another modern day story using that franchise's characters. I still intend to continue with TOS and Gil's cases, with my next target being to include Emil and Marta (and other DotNW people) into the series. That may not show up for another year and a half, so hopefully you guys will still come by to see it. Until then, I thank you for your undying support, and I'll see you again soon. Take care and have a great year!


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